Light and Hazard Dragons
by XInsanityXGuiltechXShadowwindX
Summary: The Children of Light and Hazard have a common position. Whatever could it be? The Dark Ocean is more than just a place between the Digital World and the Real World. It's the Connection of ALL worlds! Kari and Takato use it to their advantage, and find themselves and each other. Rated for suggestive content. IMPORTANT NOTE IN CHAPTER 6! READ IT!
1. Chapter 1

Okay another random project.

Let's just get into it rather than explain it.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Digimon.

**Chapter 1**

Two kids were playing around on a beach.

The majority of the area looked be colored purple, Black, and other Darker colors. There was a cliff nearby and on it was a Lighthouse. One problem.

The Light it was shining was Black. Almost Dark in Nature.

The kids ignored this, however.

Even though neither knew that the area was really the Physical Representation of Darkness: The Dark Ocean.

Back to the kids, both had Dark Brown Hair, Chocolate Brown eyes, and were about 6 or 7 years old. One was male, the other female.

The girl wore a White and Yellow short sleeve shirt and blue shorts.

The boy wore a Blue T-shirt and Tan pants.

The girl was named Hikari Kamiya.

The boy: Takato Matsuki.

They'd been doing this for over a month now. Every other day, they'd find their way here and start playing with each other without fail.

The locals just watched them while hiding. All of them were surprised that the two got there without help, or being pulled in. Three locals always watched them while they were there, but nothing had ever been found as to how they could get there.

Until today, that is.

The three on duty were very much surprised with a Divermon showed up, and threw a Harpoon at Takato.

The Locals were about to stop it, but Takato had pushed Kari out of the way before managing to dodge the harpoon, though barely. Kari was surprised, and so was Takato for a different reason. "How did I..." He whispered, before he felt another tingle, and dove to the right, before rolling and looking at the offender. It looked like a Bipedal fish, with a grey diving tank and a Harpoon in hand.

But since he didn't understand that, he just thought it was a walking fish that wanted to hurt him.

Kari notice this, too, and was scared. "Takato... I'm scared."

He heard this and then glared at the offender. "You want something from us?"

The Divermon chuckled. "I want your deaths."

Deaths.

As in: More than one.

Takato knew what that meant. He glanced at Kari. "Kari... I will protect you." He told her.

After that, everything was a blur to Takato. But not to Kari.

No, Kari saw everything. The red glow on Takato's hand, that fact that he sent the creature flying with one punch, and then threw even more Red Energy at it causing it to burst into Black Particles.

However, after that, Takato just looked at Kari with a smile before collapsing into the sand.

"Takato!" She ran up to him, her body glowing, as she grabbed him.

_Then_ she saw the glow around her, because it transferred to him. "Takato, please! Don't leave me!" She was starting to cry.

She heard a groan. "Kari...?"

"Takato!" She hugged him and helped him sit up.

"What happened?" He asked when he was on his butt, and she was looking at him. "All I remember is that Fish thingy... I said something, but... I can't remember what I said, or what happened after that, and... Are you glowing?" He asked, still confused.

She nodded at the question. "I am, but..." She then described what she saw.

They both looked at his hand and saw a Hazard Mark glowing red. "What's this thing?" Takato asked.

"Dunno. It was glowing and you threw that red thing at the Fish."

The light faded from Kari, and the mark faded from Takato's hand. This confused them both. "Lets figure it out later. Maybe the answer will find us."

The locals, however, knew what they were now.

The girl was the Child of Light, and the boy was the Guardian of the Hazard.

The next time they came, they were greeted by a Shadow Being. "Greetings, Children of Light and the Hazard."

The confusion on their faces were evident. "Judging by your confusion, I'd say you don't know what I'm talking about." They both managed a nod. "For you," He pointed at Takato. "You are what is known as the Guardian of the Digital Hazard. And you," He pointed at Kari. "Are the Child of Light. Both of you have a connection to the Digital World. Do you know what that is?"

They both shook their heads no. "Then you have a lot to learn young ones. Come with me. My friends can show you how to use your power... while we figure out why two Humans have such power in them."

"My mommy said not to trust strangers." Kari replied.

"You trusted me when we met." Takato replied. "Besides, last time I saw you I thought that it'll come to us sooner or later. That's what's going on... Right?" He asked the creature, who nodded. "He can tell us why we have these super powers, and maybe help us use them."

Kari thought for a moment and nodded. "Alright, but my mom would be worried if I'm not back by a certain time."

"My mom too." Takato added.

"As long as you're here, my friends and I will train you as best as we can. We will help you, too." The being stated. "As long as you help us afterwards."

The two thought about it and looked at each other before looking back at the Shadow Man and nodding. "We'll do it!"

"Excellent. Now, we should get away from the water. We don't want anyone else knowing about you two." The being led them away from the water and into the forests, before they ended up at a log cabin. They went inside, and sat them down at a table.

He then began to explain the role of the two positions he mentioned. "Light, however, is incomplete. Light and Dark must work together to be complete. It's called Balance." was how he finished with the Child of Light.

After he explained the Hazard, he commented on it. "As dangerous as it sounds, the Hazard is not only for destruction. The full usage of it is only known to a select few, and none of them are around any longer."

"Where are they?" Takato asked, curious. Somehow, he understood all of what was said, as did Kari.

"They... passed on. No one with the Digital Hazard has been seen in a long time. In fact, you are the first one to be seen in... I don't know how long."

Takato nodded, though a little sad. "I can teach you what I know about it, but from there you'll have to figure it out on your own. As the Child of Light is much more known, and easily found in the Digital World, I know more about that, even though I can't use either, I can help you understand your gifts."

The two looked at each other and nodded. They understood all of it, but it confused them.

For the next two years, Kari and Takato grew closer together. They trained together, played together and studied together.

Kari told Takato about her family and friends and Takato did the same. Both also thought that Takato was a lot like Tai, Kari's brother, in personality.

It had taken a year for the Shadow Man to figure out what caused them to have their abilities, and the result surprised him.

Kari had Magnadramon's Data in her. How, he didn't know, but it was nothing compared to Takato. He had Megidramon's Data in him.

He then explained it to them, and who the two were. Magnadramon and Megidramon were two of the Four Holy Dragons, though Megidramon was far from Holy.

After a month of training in drawing on their Digimon forms, they managed it, but when they reverted back, they passed out. When they woke up, they understood it, and their bond.

It wasn't just the Data of the two, either.

They found memories of a Past Life, causing Major understanding from them both. They explained it to the Shadow Man, who was understandably surprised.

From then on, he watched as they either played around, or trained themselves in the abilities of their past life.

Another point that was found out was that they had _two_ forms to draw on: One Beast and One Human.

Kari could become Ophanimon or Magnadramon, while Takato could become Gallantmon or Megidramon.

Takato had also gotten into drawing during this time. Apparently, drawing edged off the cravings he got while he was Megidramon.

However, now, Kari hadn't shown up recently. Normally, they get together every other day, but it had already been two weeks since she was last there. Naturally, this had him worried.

Shadow Man wasn't explaining, either. He just knew that something big happened in the East Quadrant, but he didn't know what happened, who caused it, and why. He also noticed that he couldn't track Kari's whereabouts like he usually could.

"Please... is there some trace of Kari?"

"I'm sorry, Takato. There's no trace of her, and I can't seem to make a connection to the East Quadrant, whether the Real World, or the Digital World to search them. My guess is she's in one of those two, but if I send you there I won't be able to bring you back."

"Can you send me to a certain place in the Real World there? I'd be able to find my way back, you know that. The hazard would let me open a portal to here, so I can find her there, and let her know that I was worried."

"What about your family?" Shadow asked.

"I... I guess... They don't know where I've been going, and I haven't told them about Megidramon, Gallantmon, or Digimon in general. She knows I've been playing with a friend that's misunderstood and doesn't really trust adults, but they trust me. I made sure that they know not to follow me, so I can keep their trust, and they saw that my friend needed someone there for them, and let it go."

Shadow hummed. "I can probably get you there, but until I can reestablish a connection, I don't know how accurate I can get it."

"Just the general area should be fine." He then gave a street address, and Shadow sent him out.

-East Quadrant, Real World-

Takato appeared out of a Red glow next to a dumpster.

He knew that he had made it, and looked into the area. _'This is the right place. Okay... time to head to Kari's apartment.'_

He made his way to the Seventh floor, and found the right apartment number, before knocking on the door.

A tall woman answered the door. "Hello there. I'm sorry, but Taichi isn't here."

"Sorry, but I'm actually here to see Hikari." Takato replied in a Young boy voice.

"Oh? Any reason why?" She asked.

"I've just been worried about her. I haven't heard from her in a couple weeks, and we've seen each other almost every day for a while." Takato explained.

"Oh... I see. Well, come on in." She led him in, and he saw Kari sitting on the couch, looking depressed. "Kari?" He started, causing her to stiffen, and look at him.

"Takato?" She asked, almost scared.

He nodded. "I was worried about you, you know?"

She looked down. "I'm sorry..."

He put a hand on her shoulder, and made her look at him. "What's wrong?"

She held up her Digivice, causing his eyes to widen. "What happened?"

She then began to explain what happened in the Digital World. Kari's mother listened in from nearby, but stayed out of the conversation. She settled for watching and listening, but what surprised her was that Takato, as Kari called him, was not surprised, nor was he calling her crazy.

"Huh. So that's what happened." Takato mused. "Makes sense, I guess. It'll probably take a while to finish, but Shadow is trying to reconnect to the East Quadrant, which is here. Apparently, I live in the South Quadrant."

"Don't you get it, Takato? I can't go back there because I don't have my crest."

Takato sighed, before meeting her eyes. "Kari, did you forget what we are?"

"No, but..."

"Magnadramon, Ophanimon, Megidramon and Gallantmon could access other Quadrants somehow. I think Shadow's home is part of it. It's probably how he knows so much about them." Takato explained. "If that's the case, then why can't you?"

Kari blinked at that. "I never thought about that."

Takato nodded. "Try and find your Inner Light, just like we did with Shadow. If it's still there, then you can still go back."

Kari nodded and closed her eyes. When she found it, she saw it was locked again, so she merely released the lock, causing her to glow slightly. Her eyes then snapped open, and she pulled it back in, and sent a smile at him. "Thank you, Takato."

"Your welcome, Kari. We're friends right? That's what friends do." Takato returned the smile.

"But what about your parents? Aren't they worried about you?"

"They know I'm with a friend that doesn't exactly get around much. They haven't asked me about you for some time."

Kari nodded. "That's true. I really don't."

"We gotta give Shadow a little credit. Without him I wouldn't have been able to get them off my case without lying. Really, I suck at it."

Kari giggled. The two continued talking about random stuff since then. What's happened, weird things, and Takato's new friends, Hirokazu Shioda, or Kazu, and Kenta Kitagawa.

Kari's mother just watched as the two just talked like they were old friends. She even caught a few subtle hints given from both of them, which she didn't fully understand, but she knew without a doubt the two knew exactly what the other meant.

She also knew what all of those facts combined meant. Kari and Takato were a lot closer than just friends. It was almost as if the two were... She shook her head out of that thought. It was absurd.

But the fact remains that they were close. She also knew that Kari was depressed ever since she got back from the Digital World, which she figured was because of Gatomon.

If letting Takato be around her daughter got her out of the Depression, then she'd let them be as close as they want... within reason, of course.

The sun was setting now, and the front door opened, revealing another male a few years older than the two, and both looked at him.

Takato knew him by description alone. "So, you're Tai?"

He blinked. "Who are you?"

"Takato Matsuki." He held out his hand. "I'm a friend of Kari's. She's told me a lot about you."

He gripped it, and they shook. "Funny, she never mentioned you."

"My choice, actually. From one Angel to a Knight, we kept each other's secrets."

"Takato!" Kari whined.

"What? You didn't expect me to never meet your family, did you?" He grinned at her. _'You know I've been wanting to do this.'_ He thought, which was the unsaid message.

"No, but you could've been a bit more subtle about that." Kari told him.

"I guess you also know about her... problem?" Tai whispered.

Takato raised an eyebrow. "Which one?"

"Well, for one, she's been depressed lately."

"Knew that, fixed it." Takato countered.

"Huh? How?"

"I'm here, for one." He admitted. "She can never stay down with me around."

"Huh. Do you know about that Glowing thing? She never explained it, and... well, I'm still curious."

"She didn't say, neither will I." Takato shrugged as he sat down next to Kari. "But just so you know, yes I know what caused it."

"Kari, why would you tell him and not your own brother?" Tai asked.

"Because he was there when I found out." Kari answered. "Oh yeah. Takato, you made me miss out on Camp."

"Wait, what?" Takato was now confused.

"If you didn't dunk me back then, I would've been able to go. Mom mistook it for a fever, and said I couldn't go." Kari pointed out.

Takato blinked. "Oh. Sorry, I didn't know. So, how was the Eastern Digiworld?"

"It was a little tough adjusting, but I managed. It feels different from where we usually meet. But it just felt... wrong. Like the balance had shattered, or something."

"You think that's why Shadow Couldn't find you or contact anyone in the East?"

Kari thought about it, and nodded. "Would make sense, I guess." She noticed the sunset out of the window. "It's getting late, shouldn't you be getting home soon?"

Takato blinked. "You're right. Good to know you're safe, though. I was worried."

"You don't have to, Geeze. You know I can take care of myself." Kari retorted, a little annoyed.

Takato simply chuckled. "Alright, work on the connection, and I'll be there once a week. Just ask Shadow how long its been when you finally reconnect. I'll be waiting!" He walked out the door, and jumped over the railing.

"Wait!" The mother shouted, as he jumped over. When she looked over the railing, he was gone. No splat, no blood, no scream, no body. "What the..." Kari walked up and looked over as well.

She sighed and shook her head. "Show off..." She muttered. "Don't worry mom, he'll be fine."

It only took her another week to reconnect to the Dark Ocean. When she did, the first person she saw was Takato, and they both smiled at each other and hugged.

"Kari... I'm glad your back."

"Me too, Takato. Me too." She replied.

Shadow cleared his throat, earning their attention. "Since you're both here, I believe I should let you know, that someone else is trying to access here. We'll need you both ready at a moment's notice." he explains.

"Who else could get here?"

Shadow shook his head. "They're coming from the North Quadrant, but that's not the major problem. It's that the power of these beings have awoken Dragomon here, and _that_ is the problem."

"Dragomon?" Takato asked.

"I've never heard of him." Kari added. "I could ask Izzy, though. He probably knows, or he could find out."

"Dragomon is an Ultimate level. At best, I'd rank Champion." Shadow answered. "Dragomon also runs this area. The _entire_ area. The problem with this is, he's the reason this place has pretty much gone to shit until you two came along. But now that he's waking up, we don't have much time until he gets rid of everyone here. I'll keep you updated, but he must not win. When I said I would help you with your abilities as best as I can in return for your help, Dragomon is who I meant. The Dark Ocean will become barren of all life if Dragomon were to have his way. The problem is, regardless of his Rank, he's also powerful enough to rival a Low Mega, and his skill could allow him to match a Royal Knight, and possibly win."

Takato's eyes widened. "Then... We'd lose?"

"But what can we do?" Kari asked.

"Alone, not much. He'd have enough power to eliminate one of you... but perhaps together you could take him out." Shadow admitted. "It's a long shot, but it's possible."

Takato and Kari looked at each other with determination and nodded. "We said we'd help, and we will. Just let us know when he's about to break out. We'll make our way here and fight him off. If I can get my friends to come with me they'll be able to help." An 8 Old Year old Kari replied.

"I'd appreciate that. Now, what happened in the East Quadrant? Takato said it'd be better if you tell me, as you were there."

Hikari then explained it from her point of view. "I can't explain their first trip, because of Takato dunking me in the Ocean the day before. Seriously, Takato, I missed out on camp because of that."

Takato rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry..." They looked at Shadow. "Something else is wrong, isn't it?"

"Yes, there is." Shadow continued. "The problems in the North should be stopped soon. However, some more trouble will be brewing in the South soon. From what I gather, it'll take a few years before it rears its head, but it's still coming."

Takato sighed. "I was afraid that would happen."

"Be on the lookout for Digimon in the Real World, Takato. It'll be up to you until some children are chosen with a Digivice."

Takato nodded. "But if that happens, what about Kari?"

"I may be able to send her to a specified area in the South, but, as with you, I doubt I'd be able to bring her back." Shadow admitted. "Be on the lookout, Takato. And stay safe. The longer the South stays ignorant of the Digital World, the better."

Takato nodded. "Got it. Anything else?"

Shadow shook his head. "I've got nothing else. Kari, make sure you can still use your abilities. Other than that, you're pretty much good to go."

Kari nodded. "I can still use them. In fact, they're easier now, even though I no longer have my Crest. Maybe the Crest of Light limited my power, and with it gone..."

"You have space to expand." Takato realized.

Kari nodded. "They're easier to control, and more powerful too."

Shadow nodded. "I'd get to work then."

Kari shook her head. "I've got a week until School, and my mom said I could go meet Takato's Parents, as long as I'm back before school starts."

Takato blinked, then explained what he told his parents. Kari nodded, understanding the situation.

They both glowed and went into the South Quadrant.

-Shinjuku Park, Abandoned Shed-

Takato and Kari showed up in a slight glow, which revealed them. "Come on, Kari, my mom is probably still wondering who my friend is, so why not show her?"

She nodded, and they walked out of the Shed and down the stairs before walking around the park.

He continued to explain the area, and then he bragged about the fact that he drew an accurate Map of the Park they were in while he was blindfolded. She giggled. "I was more accurate than the Maps in the Park. I know it better than the officials."

"That's pretty good." She said.

However, he didn't escape notice by two particular boys. "Takato!"

The two stopped and looked at the incoming males. Kari noticed their attire and figured that they were Kazu and Kenta. "Who's the _girl_?" The one she thought was Kazu asked.

"Kazu, I've been friends with her longer than I've known you." Takato replied.

"Then how come I've never seen her?" Kazu questioned. "Besides, she'll probably cramp our style."

Takato shook his head. "Nah, she's a lot more like me than you think. This is also the first chance she has to meet my parents. Her mother is more of a chicken than Kenta's."

Kenta blinked. "That bad, huh?" He asked, before holding out a Hand. "Kenta Kitagawa. Friend of Takato." The glasses wearing kid said.

"Hikari Kamiya. Long time friend of Takato's." Kari replied. "My friends call me Kari, though."

"Hirokazu Shioda. Guys call me Kazu, though." Kazu replied. "So, we all gonna head over to your house?"

Kari looked at Takato. "I've been wanting to meet your parents, and I've got a week until I have to go home. I hope your mother doesn't mind. It took my brother's argument to get her to agree... and I _still_ don't know how he did that. I also don't know how he got dad to agree, and I figured that would've been even harder."

Takato blinked. "If you ask me, Tai probably knew something that they didn't, or he just pointed out something glaringly obvious that they both overlooked. I mean, in his place that's what I would've done."

Kari thought about it and shrugged. "I'll ask when we get back."

"Good idea. So, we gonna go to my place?" Takato asked, earning a round of nods.

They walked through the park, Kazu and Kenta asking questions that Kari managed to dodge without any suspicion.

They soon reached the Matsuki Bakery. "This is the place. Come on, we'll enter on the side."

The four went in, with Takato's father, Takehiro, right there. "Takato, I wasn't expecting you back. Kazu, Kenta, good to see you again..." He noticed Kari. "I don't believe we've met."

"I told you about her. She's the friend that mom's been curious about." Takato explained.

Takehiro's eyes widened slightly, before a smile appeared on his face. "And you've managed to keep your lady friend secret from us for this long? Sounds like you've been doing something with her."

"Mostly making sure she can live life." Takato shrugged. "But hey, who am I to judge?"

"Mie, Takato's home, and he brought his Secret friend!" Takehiro called out.

"Let them in!"

"We'll be in the Living Room, dad. We've got time, but she has permission to stay here for a week."

"That's strange... Why would her parents allow her to stay at a boy's house without first meeting the parents of said boy?" Takehiro asked, with a raised eyebrow.

"Because she trusts me." Takato smiled. "So..."

"She gets your bed." Takehiro stated.

Takato smiled. "Thanks dad!"

The four walked into the living room, and saw a TV with an N64 connected, and game inside.

More specifically: Super Smash Brothers.

Kari smirked. "Count me in."

Takato smirked as well.

"Girls can't play video games. This'll be an easy win." Kazu boasted.

Kenta nodded in agreement. Takato held back his Insane Cackle. "Prepare to eat your words, guys." He commented.

They set it as Stock, with 5 lives each. Takato chose Kirby, Kari chose Peach, Kazu chose Captain Falcon, and Kenta chose Fox.

Within 5 minutes, Kenta was eliminated, Kari had 4 lives, Takato had 5, and Kazu only had one. Kazu, being surprised, was hit by Takato and taken out by the time 5:30 came around. Takato then fell off the screen on purpose, as did Kari. Takato did it again to even out their lives at 3, and _then_ they started.

This time, it took 10 minutes before it became 1 life each.

Kazu and Kenta were surprised at the level the two were playing. "This is impossible..." Kazu breathed.

"I don't believe it. I see it but I don't believe it..." Kenta commented.

Takehiro looked into the room, and saw what happened. Peach finally knocked Kirby out, and the game was over. Takato snapped his finger. "Man, I never get that good of a challenge out of both Kazu and Kenta combined. You're better than I thought."

"Yeah... So is Tai. He and I are pretty much equal in skills in this game. He prefers Samus, though." Kari commented.

"Huh. Should've expected that." Takato mused. "We doing this like we used to?"

Kari shrugged. "Why not? Another round?"

"You guys up for it?" Takato asked.

"She probably can't beat us in the Digimon Card game!" Kazu countered. Takato and Kari blinked. _'Card game?'_

"Back up, I don't remember there being a Card game like that."

"Oh yeah. It only hit stores 4 months ago. You probably weren't listening when I told you, though."

Takato shrugged. "Probably not. So, mind teaching us?"

Kazu shrugged. "Eh, why not?"

He then explained the rules, and how to play. Kari and Takato nodded as they understood them.

Kazu and Kenta didn't have many cards, but some other things that they knew wouldn't be known came up, mostly Digimon.

The Kazu had his Deck ready and gave them time to make another deck for each of them.

Kari and Takato made their decks, Takato using mostly Virus Types, since Kazu would never use them, and Kari going all around.

Kazu faced off with Kari, while Takato faced off with Kenta. Funny thing?

Kari and Takato won their matches. Kazu and Kenta just gaped. "A girl is better than us in something that's still new?!" Kazu gripped his head.

"Kari, what do you say you face me?"

"Let's see how you do, then. This is actually a fun game." Kari commented, before Takato and Kari started up again. Kazu and Kenta just watched as the two went back and forth, somehow equal in skill. Regardless of their less than balanced decks, they managed to make due.

In the end, Takato lost while Kari had 300 Data Points left. "That was a close game." Kari admitted. "Kenta and Kazu were pretty easy compared to you."

"I blame the Gallant Hazard." Takato shrugged. "Thanks for helping us with the cards guys." The two handed the cards back.

Kazu and Kenta left, but Kari stuck around, and they began to talk with Mie and Takehiro about their relationship so far. When they were finished, Mie frowned. "I guess with what you told me, she actually has a reason for not getting around much. But how did she get her mother and father to agree to this?"

"My brother did. I still don't know how, but I'm gonna ask when I get back. I've got a week." Kari explained.

Takehiro nodded. "So, you've got clothes, right?"

Takato pointed at a Backpack leaning on the wall. "They're right there." He stated.

"Huh. So, where do you plan to sleep, Takato? She's getting your bed."

"I don't mind, and my mother didn't when he passed out at my place. My brother had picture of it, though. I sleep in the same room as him, and have been for years. Takato acts a lot like my brother, so as long as nothing happens, I'll be fine."

"Nothing happens?" Mie frowned.

"That's just what my mom said. I didn't understand, though." Kari frowned in confusion. "I still don't get it."

Mie didn't like it, so she'd keep an eye on them. "Alright..."

"Honey, I'll talk with Takato about this. You mind explaining it to Kari?"

Mie nodded, as Takehiro and Takato were taken into another room. "Takato, there's more to this than she's putting out."

Takato nodded. "I knew you'd see it."

"Your mother is worried about her. You know that, right?"

"Dad... I've known her for 3 years, now. I know her better than her own mother does, and that's saying something." Takato countered.

"Really? You know a secret she hides from her mother?"

"Yeah, I do. It's because she trusts me that I know... that and I was there when she found out." Takato stated. "Her mother has met me, and trusts me enough that she knows that Kari will be safe as long as I'm around."

"Do you know what it means to be this close to a girl, Takato?"

"Girlfriend?" Takato guessed.

Takehiro blinked but nodded. "Yeah, how did you figure it out?"

"Kari's brother, Tai." Takato explained. "He's the one that explained it to me... and his friend Sora helped out there. They explained it to us both."

During the week, Kari had gotten to know Takato's family, and Mie had gotten to know Kari quite well.

However, it was now Saturday, the day that Kari had to go home. She was going to leave in the Afternoon, and was offered a ride, which she declined.

Takato and Kari looked at each other before asking his parents for a private conversation. During said conversation, Takato explained how he truly met Kari. And then the abilities they had. "Shadow helped us control them, so they don't control us. During these lessons, well, we got close. Closer than most would expect." Takato finished.

"Then where's this symbol?" Mie questioned. "I have never seen it."

Takato held up his right hand, clenched it and the Hazard Symbol appeared on the back of it. "Right here. After a few years of training it, I can control it, but not to the fullest. I'm far from mastering it, but at the very least I can use it to protect her."

"But if its that dangerous..."

"If I don't learn to control it, and I draw on too much, there's no telling just how much damage would come out of it. I may not even survive. That's why I've been training to control it. If I don't, I could end up destroying half of Tokyo in about 10 seconds, and I don't want that. I have this power, so I'm gonna use it to protect everyone and everything I can." Takato finished. "If I use it, it's dangerous. If I don't, it's even more dangerous. It's the lesser of two evils, as the saying goes. At least if I can control it, I don't hurt someone I don't want to."

"And my powers over Light can help, too. What he hurts, I can help. What he breaks, I can fix." Kari added. "All those years of training together helped us both. It's also these abilities that let us see each other."

"Does you brother have these abilities?" Takehiro asked.

Kari shook her head. "No, he doesn't. I don't even know what he'd have if he did."

Takato nodded. "If not for our abilities leading us to each other, she'd probably never learn about them, and I'd probably destroy myself if I got angry enough to draw on it unprepared. It's better this way. Please don't separate us."

Mie didn't like it, but with what she just heard, she knew what he was saying was true. "So... as long as you control it, you won't hurt anyone?"

Takato nodded. "No one else can know either mom. If the government finds out, they'll try to take me away from you, and extract it for their own use. If that happens, not only will I die, but so will anyone else they give the ability. Only certain people can use it _with_ side effects. I'm the only Human alive that can use it without side effects. There's also two other beings that can use it without killing themselves, and _they _are not even human. Anything else will either kill itself automatically, or over time. The last human to try and use it had his body implode."

"Then why..."

"Because, like I said, I'm the only known human to be able to use it without side effects. I've been using it for years, trying to learn how to control it."

"What's more is, if He's not kept calm, he could snap. Without me there, _no one_ can calm him down when he gets that way and even _I_ have a hard time calming him down in that situation. His Anger is even more dangerous because of this because of the fact that the Hazard responds to his emotions. I can keep him calm, and just by being near me, his Anger dissolves. I'm his safety line." Kari explained. "As long as he isn't forced into using it, he should be okay, but we're not sure. As long as we can see each other, and I have enough time to help him through his anger, everyone will be safe. And that's something we both want."

Takehiro sighed. "Alright. I don't like it, but I see your point."

"Takehiro!"

"Honey, you know that they're doing what they have to in order to help us. They didn't have to tell us, either." He explained. Mie didn't like it, and her face showed it. "Takato, why did you tell us this?"

"Because I got word that something will be coming soon... They'll be coming here. We don't know what, but I was asked to keep an eye out for something. I have the ability to slow it down, or even stop it. But no one knows what it is, so I have to keep a lookout for something. If this thing succeeds, then we can say goodbye to this world. Now that I know, I can prepare for it."

Kari put a hand on his shoulder. "You've got our help if you need it. Just say the word, and I'll be there. With or without the others."

Takato nodded with a smile. "Anyway, I should probably get going. Good luck, Takato. And be careful. I don't want you going out just yet... that would totally suck." She grimaced at the image in her head.

Takato chuckled. "Kari, you know as well as I do, I'm too stubborn to die... You saw that against the Divermon years ago. Remember how I caught his Harpoon?"

Kari nodded. "I remember how you crushed it in your hand. Seriously, with the Hazard you're stronger than you look."

Takato chuckled. "Yeah... Compression does wonders for that, huh?"

Kari giggled. "I know, Light's the same way. Anyway, I need to get home soon."

"Come on, I'll lead you to the waypoint." Takato said, getting up. "I'll be right back, mom. Shouldn't be more than an hour."

"Be careful sweetie." Mie said.

Takato nodded. "I always am."

He led her back to the Shed and she opened the portal. "See you next week?"

Takato nodded. "Write notes in Digitext. Any other ideas, put them in Digitext if you don't want them out. Remember that, and we'll compare notes then. If you find something, just send a note, okay?"

Kari nodded, said "Good luck, Takato." and went through.

Takato sighed.

A few more years passed, and not much else happened.

Kari reached 11 years old, and Takato was 12. He remembered Kari's 11th birthday, and chuckled.

He gave her a Vaccine Deck that revolved around the Gatomon line. She took it home with her. His Virus Deck was a powerful one, and had counters for Vaccines, Data, and easily overpowered most other Viruses.

Then there were the Turnaround cards that he used a few times. He just walked around quite a bit, but now, he noticed a Data Digimon in the area. His eyes shot to the roof of a building, and saw a Yellow bipedal fox. _'A Renamon, huh? That's a speed and evasion Digimon. Normally employ Hit and run tactics...'_ He sent his gaze along the ground, and saw someone that had a Digivice on their waist.

He took careful note of the attire and features. _'Orange Hair with blonde streaks, Purple eyes, White and purple T-shirt... Female, obviously a tomboy... likes music, a little sneaky, plays the Card game if the Deck Box is any indication. White and Purple Digivice.'_ He then started following her, walking while writing down notes in a Notepad. He was writing down details in Digitext, knowing this would be important. He used a currently dead Dialect of Digitext, so no Digimon from the last 5 or 600 Digiyears would be able to read it.

After following for about 5 blocks, he knew that the Renamon picked up on his presence stalking the girl, but he walked to right next to her at the street corner, not even looking at her. They crossed the street, and walked a bit further, but separated later on.

The Renamon was suspicious of him now, but had no proof. He went over the notes he made, and the Renamon followed the girl around.

They crossed paths about 30 minutes later, but only the Renamon noticed. Takato was just walking around now. They just walked by each other another 3 times, and Takato noticed each time due to Renamon. _'Okay, I've had enough of this.'_ He tapped into the Hazard slightly, and made a Mental Link with the Renamon. _"Renamon, can you hear me?"_

"_Who is this?"_

"_I keep passing this girl and you're always in the area, so I figure you'd know something. This is, like, the fifth time in the last two hours I've been walking around randomly that I've passed her."_ Takato told her.

"_Wait, you are the Brown haired male in a Blue sweater with a hood?"_ Renamon questioned.

"_If she asks whether or not I'm stalking her, please tell her no. I have no idea as to why, but something or someone is having us find each other. I don't know if she realized it, but I see her and I feel you, so I figure she's your partner. Am I right?"_

"_You are."_

"_Okay, good. At least I'm not going crazy. If she needs to talk to someone, I have a history with Digimon, so just tell her to look me up. I've been told I'm a good listener. What's her name?"_

"_Why don't you ask her yourself?"_

"_And risk sounding like a stalker? Not a chance. Besides I already have a girlfriend, and if this girl thinks that I like her like that, my girl would probably fire a beam of superhot light at her. So no. Not gonna happen."_

"_Then I will give you an alias of hers. Digimon Queen. Look it up if you wish to know."_

"_Huh. Okay, then I'll tell you my title: Guardian of the Digital Hazard. The last one was alive around 6 or 700 Digital Years ago over in the West Quadrant."_

"_That's absurd, the Guardian of the Digital hazard _must_ be a Digimon, not a human... You're in disguise."_ It wasn't a question.

"_Actually, I am a human. I'm also the only human that has any chance of using it like I have been for the last 7 years."_ Takato retorted.

"_This is so wrong..."_

"_Welcome to my screwed up world."_ Takato replied. _"Anyway, I'll have to head home. If you want to talk about what a Partnership is supposed to be like, follow me and drop by... Scratch that. Bioemergence. I'll handle it."_ Takato cut out and ran off, before turning into a Red blur.

He stopped at a Park Clearing before a fog came out of the ground, and a Goblimon showed up in the fog as he looked around. "Hmm... Goblimon, eh? Piece of cake."

The Goblimon swung his club, which Takato grabbed, before crushing it in his hand, turning it into Data particles. The Goblimon was understandably surprised, so he couldn't be blamed when he was kicked in the nads, causing him to drop, and Takato to crush his head like he had done to so many others. He burst into Data particles, but the fog didn't lift.

He closed his eyes, looking for any sign of another Digimon. Just then, two others entered the Fog, a Human and a Rookie Digimon.

He knew this to be the girl and Renamon. "Stay on guard. There's at least one more here."

"Who are you, and where's your Digimon?" The girl questioned.

Takato didn't answer, but turned his head to the right, his eye zeroing in on his target. "Found you..." He found two others, all Flymon. "Renamon, you want the two on the left while I get the one to the right?"

"You think you can handle a Digimon? Renamon, show him how it's done." The girl ordered.

"As you wish." Renamon jumped up and called out her attack. "Diamond Storm!" She deleted the two Flymon in the group, but the third was charging him.

He reared his fist back. "You want proof of my earlier statement, well here it is." He threw it forward, and called out. "Hazard Joust!" A beam of red Digital Energy flew out and pierced the last Flymon, surprising both human and Digimon. He looked at the girl as the Fog started to lift.

"So, Miss. May I know you name?" He asked.

"How the heck did you do that?" She questioned, her eyes narrowed.

"Name first. Then answers." Takato pointed.

"Rika Nonaka. Now answer my question!" She nearly yelled.

He looked at Renamon. "Your partner knows. For the record my name is Takato "The Typhoon" Matsuki. Until later." He turned, took one step and left in a Red blur.

Renamon was surprised, while Rika was confused. "Renamon, what the hell was he talking about?"

"He was right... that was Digital Energy..." Renamon whispered. "I will explain later, Rika. We should get out of here first."

"Fine." She growled out.

-Matsuki Bakery-

Takato walked in. "Mom, I'm home!"

"Takato! What took you so long?"

"Rookie, and 3 bugs. Not a scratch." Takato replied.

"Did they hit you?"

"The Rookie got one attack out, but it missed. The bugs couldn't do a thing." He answered.

"Thank god..." Mie and Takato had been doing this pretty much everyday. If he was held up by a Digimon he named either their level or what they looked like. Ever since Digimon started to cross over, he made a mental note of strengths and weaknesses of them for later use.

He sat down at a table. "Oh, and I found a Digimon Pair, too."

This earned Mie's attention. "Another one like you?"

Takato shook his head, now that his mother was sitting at the table. "No, a Human and Digimon partnership. The girl is Rika Nonaka, the Digimon Queen. Her Digimon Partner is Renamon."

"Its a Fox Type, right?" Mie asked. She had long since looked into Digimon, since she knew her son was dealing with them.

"Yeah, Rookie level, Data type, most likely."

"Did this one attack you?"

"No, but she _was_ surprised when I took out a Flymon with a Hazard Joust." He had also described most of his moves using the Hazard, and what he did before using them, mostly as a formality.

"I guess that's no surprise. I mean, you're my son, and I was surprised when you actually showed me that one." Mie admitted. "A Digimon would be even more surprised."

"Yeah... I got a little brutal with the Goblimon, though."

"Scale?"

"6.2, I think. Face Crush."

Mie flinched. "That's got to hurt."

Takato shrugged. "It did the job. Hopefully it'll be reborn as a better Digimon."

She nodded. "That's good that you let the Data Get away."

Takato shrugged. "I'm not that heartless, mom. Anyway, there's another Local Tournament coming up soon. I want to look into it. Plus, I've gotta meet Kari tomorrow. Might want to reconfigure my deck. I'm pretty much the best in my school. Every player in my class wants me in this one to get to the Regional. I'm the Virus Emperor of the Card Game. My entire grade wants me to represent my School."

"What does it cost?"

"Nothing but transportation. This is a Tiered Tournament, unlike the one a month ago. The first round is a District, then a Regional, then National. Someone thought the current champion cheated somehow, so they're a shoe in for the Nationals. There's 15 other Regions, and a total of 16 slots in the Nationals. I intend to be one of those 15."

"So, you gonna walk to it, or do you want a ride?" Yes, she also knew of his body enhancement ability of the Hazard.

"I can walk. I'll let you know about Regionals when they come around." Takato explained.

Mie nodded. It made sense, and he's been more honest lately since she found out the truth of the Hazard. "Okay, you going to call Shadow?" Yes, she knew about him too.

"Might as well. I just found out about the first partnership in the city. I figure the threat he told me about all those years ago is coming up soon." Takato replied.

Mie nodded, and got started on dinner. "Shadow, it's Takato."

_Something wrong?_

"Maybe. I ran into the first of the Partnerships... I also passed the the Human 5 times in 3 hours."

_I see... We may have less time than I thought._ Shadow replied. _I'd estimate maybe a year until the threat breaks loose, but I still don't know what it is._

"I understand. Kari should be coming over here tomorrow. Let her know?"

_Will do. Oh, and Takato, I've got a Gatomon here in the Dark Ocean. She's tied to the Crest of Light, I can tell._ Shadow replied.

Takato's eyes widened. "Tell Kari, and have the two meet before she comes over. Something tells me the Gatomon is there for a reason."

_If she's awake by then, why not?_ Shadow replied. Takato got the distinct impression that he was shrugged. _Anyway, I'm out. Later._ Shadow Hung up.

Takato sighed and hung up on his end.

The next day, Kari came into the Bakery pretty early. There was also a Gatomon playing like a domesticated Cat in her arms.

"Hello, Ms. Matsuki. Is Takato awake?"

"Ah, Kari. He's in the shower now. You can wait in the living if you want. Is that your Partner?" The Gatomon meowed.

"It's fine Gatomon. She knows about Digimon."

"Oh thank god." Gatomon breathed. "Seriously, though. Why does she know?"

"My son fights off Digimon in the city." Mie replied. "I kind of have to know."

"He hasn't been injured, has he?" Kari asked.

"No, he hasn't. The last one had a Goblimon and 3 Flymon, apparently. There was a small mark on his right hand, but nothing notable. It was a Face Crush, I think."

"Oh... That's kind of brutal." Kari pointed out.

"So he said." Mie stated. "Make yourself at home until he's ready."

Kari nodded, and led Gatomon to a couch. "So, Kari, why are we here?"

"I want you to meet my real boyfriend." Kari answered. "I've got another gogglehead after me, but this one got me before I met you. He risked a Permanent Digital Quadrant change just to make sure I was okay after you were left in the Digital World."

It was about 10 minutes before Takato came down in a Blue Hoodie, Dark brown shorts, yellow wrist bands and Gold trimmed oval goggles. "Trying to copy my brother, Takato?" She teased.

"Ever since he came up on the show I had a viable reason to." Takato retorted. "Apparently, the first season started this past week, with Summer camp. Shadow created a company that's producing the first adventure, and is finally pushing it on the air. First episode aired 2 days ago. So, shall we get going? I've got a Tournament tomorrow, so I was hoping to revamp my deck."

"Oh. Mind if I help?"

Takato nodded. "I was just about to ask." She smiled and the three walked out, Gatomon resuming the Cat Act. They got to the Park, and saw Kazu and Kenta in a Playground area with a Purple dinosaur.

"Hey, Chumley! About time! Kari?" Kazu blinked as he saw Kari. "Okay, you come too!" He had long since figured that Kari outshines him pretty much everywhere.

Takato pulled out a Box. "So, you planning to face us both?"

"Actually, I'm trying to revamp my Deck for the Tournament."

"Dude, you don't need to Revamp it. It's better than any other deck I've seen!" Kenta countered.

"Kenta, my goal in this tournament is the National Finals, where I'll face the previous Champion. _That_ is where I plan to win." Takato retorted.

"You're after the Digimon Queen, then?" Kazu asked, causing Takato to stiffen, though only Kari noticed.

"I guess. If the Digimon Queen was accused of Cheating by five players."

"Yup, that's her. No one knows who she is, or where she lives. You might need to up your game, if she's your target." Kazu admitted.

Kari thought about it. "You have anything on her normal style of play?"

Kazu and Kenta shook their heads.

Takato sighed. "I'll have to look it up. I'll also have to add in Data and Vaccine Types, or make a new Deck with all three."

"I'd suggest the new deck." Kari pointed out. "I'll help, since I use an All-rounder deck. I can teach you how it plays, and give you tips."

Takato nodded. "Thanks Kari. I owe you for this."

She shook her head. "Okay, let's see what you got." They spent the next 30 minutes getting cards and putting them together.

After that, he went two on one with Kazu and Kenta. Kari's advice helped immensely, as his Deck responded to his wishes just like his usual deck.

The next one was a 3v1 handicapped match, no DP difference. Takato _still_ won. He grinned like a Cheshire cat. "Oh yeah. That'll definitely do it." _'I feel the heartbeat of this one... same as I did my last one.'_ he added as an afterthought.

00000x00000

Chapter Complete!


	2. Chapter 2

Okay, this is another chapter for this story.

**Chapter 2**

Kari had left near sunset, bidding Takato goodbye after they had dinner together.

When Takato got home, he felt Renamon nearby. "Top floor, south east corner, East edge window Rena."

He felt the shift, inwardly liking the fact that he had trained himself to sense Digimon. He got inside, said hi, Kari was heading home, and went up to his room, only to see Renamon in there. He nodded, before sitting down. "You wanted to talk about something?"

"I am curious as to how you managed to delete that Flymon."

"That's simple. I was charged with protecting the South Quadrant until at least 3 people were Chosen. To my knowledge, Rika is the first. Then I was to train them. I also sent the specs that I found on Rika's Digivice." Takato replied sitting down on a chair.

"And how did you find those out?"

"During that one battle, I found every point in it for Every level, and even how to get you to Digivolve." Takato smirked at Renamon's surprise.

"It is confusing Rika as to how Digivolution occurs."

"I've got friends in the East, and they already told me how their partners got to Champion the First time, as I'm assuming that's where your problem is." Takato pointed out.

"How..."

Takato held up a hand. "The way they reached Champion in the East is the same way you have to reach Champion. It won't matter how much Data you have in you, or you have absorbed. Not for a Partner Digimon like you. It requires the Human to provide the Spiritual Energy through a bond. It's Ultimate and Beyond that is different, but from Rookie to Champion simply requires the Human to show they care. If Rika is the type to hide her emotions, or doesn't bond with you, then you'll _never_ Digivolve until she opens up."

"And how would you know that is the case?"

Takato blinked. "I don't. That's just a situation that came to mind. But the fact you're asking me that means it's the truth, and she probably sees you as Data. Data can be replaced, but a Partner cannot. That fit the bill?" Seeing Renamon stiffen, he palmed his face. "Figures... Look, until she starts seeing you as an Equal, and _alive_ odds are you'll never Digivolve unless her life is in Danger, and you can't stop whatever's doing it in time. Either one could work. Work on getting her to open up, and it'll happen eventually. Look, I've got a district Tournament coming up, so I've got to get some shut eye. If you have any other questions, lay them out now, or head back to Rika." Renamon phased out causing Takato to sigh.

-4 weeks later-

Takato had managed to enter the Region Qualifiers, and win those. He was in the Finals, and managed with his All-rounder Deck built with Kari's help. His class, heck his entire school was surprised at the cards in the deck, as some from every class came to cheer him on. Even grades ahead of him, and behind him.

Apparently, the entire school was counting on him. He went from Virus Emperor to being called the new Digimon King.

That is, until he unleashed a card that was _extremely_ rare in the finals of the Regional Qualifiers: Hazard Meltdown. He used it when he had a Daemon on his field, and it destroyed every card aside from Mega level Virus types.

Why he had it in his All-Rounder Deck, no one knew, but the fact that he used it means _everyone_ knew he had it.

Kari was also the only one that knew he had that card until then. However, apparently, now there was the Final 16. There was also a special rule for the Top 8 and afterwards. The deck you used beforehand cannot be used. Both decks had to be approved by the judges as well. During school, he used his Virus Emperor Deck, and made a few changes, but not many.

He had moved the Hazard Meltdown to his Virus Deck, but it was rare for him to use it.

Today was also the day for the National Finals. Takato was also not surprised to see Rika here.

Kari was sitting next to him in the waiting room. "So, who's the one that got accused of cheating?" Rika's ear twitched slightly.

"See the girl with Fire colored hair in a Pineapple?" Takato asked, earning a nod. "That's her. She's also the partner of a Renamon." This earned him a surprised look from her, before she got up and walked over to him. "Who are you?"

Takato raised an eyebrow. "Don't you remember the three Flymon in the Park a few weeks ago?"

Then it hit her. "You actually play the game? And here I thought you'd never have time."

Takato shrugged. "I mostly dabble. Most of my training involves actual combat. This is Kari. My girlfriend."

Rika then sat down on the other side. "I heard you mention a Renamon. Why?"

"I have a Gatomon as a Partner. Had her for almost 4 years now." Kari explained quietly.

"Huh. Started off as a Plotmon I take it?"

"Came to me as a Gatomon, but I've gotten her to Mega as both Magnadramon and Ophanimon."

"How?"

"Well, I probably do things different than you, as this is the South, and I'm from the East. Your partner may be able to explain that somewhat. Takato and I have the ability to Jump between Quadrants, if you must know. In the East Digivolution to Champion is easy, for the most part. Keeping it, however, is harder. It requires a bond with the Digimon. It's been proven that a Partner Digimon Digivolves with help from the Human they're partnered with. Reaching Ultimate in the East requires a Crest, or the Human having an extreme amount of Spiritual Energy. I gave up the Crest of Light 3 years ago, but Gatomon can still reach Ultimate and even further to Mega. Depending on what I'm going for, the amount of Energy needed to go from Ultimate to Mega is different. For Ophanimon I need significantly less energy than I do for Magnadramon. Magnadramon is also stronger than Ophanimon."

"And how do you know this?"

"Years of Trial and Error." Kari replied. "Takato also knows this information."

"From what I found out from Renamon, the one holding her back isn't her. It's you." Takato added. "We've talked every now and then, and I've pretty much got your mind figured out. At first I was a little glad that one came around, but at the moment, all I've seen from you is a Defective Tamer. You may be the Digimon Queen here, but out there you are nothing. As it stands, you're still a Rookie Tamer, with your line of thinking."

"And what is _that_ supposed to mean?" Her eyes narrowed. Takato was undeterred by the look.

"The whole "Digimon are nothing more than Data" Mindset is your problem. Get over it." Takato answered. "Until you get over your own fear of letting others in, Renamon will never Digivolve, and neither will any other Digimon partner you get."

_Virus Emperor and Aluza Kisawa please report to the field._

Takato got up. "Wish me luck, Kari."

"You don't need it." Kari grinned.

Rika watched. She knew that Takato was a dangerous opponent. She had to watch how he played. She had to see his style.

With the way they were set up, she wouldn't face Takato until the finals.

Takato won in 5 turns. That all-rounder deck of his was a Monster to face off with. _'But he can't use it past this round. Even so, why would he use the name Virus Emperor if that was his main... No way...'_ Her face showed a bit of realization, and surprise.

"I see you finally figured it out." Kari said, breaking her thoughts. "The deck he's been using in the Tournament has been created for the sole purpose of getting this far. He was glad with the Deck Change Rule for the Top 8 and above. That deck isn't his best deck. With that deck, he could face 6 people at once, and win. With his Actual Deck he beats 10 at once, while he starts off with 5000 and the rest start off with 10,000 each. Also, he _never_ falls below half his starting Data Points. Even when he had to take out a total of 100,000 Data Points at once, he ended up with 4300 Data Points at the finish."

Her eyes widened. _'Either this guy is a Dangerous opponent, or the guys he faced were wimps... and with a 5 turn win at this level, I'm more inclined to believe the former.'_ Rika thought.

Takato came back and sat down next to Kari, and they continued to talk. Rika just listened, until it was her turn. It was one of those that accused her of Cheating, and her deck was inspected. She still won, and the other guy was dominated.

She went back to Kari and Takato, and started joining in a few points in the conversation.

The Top 8 came around, and Takato was in the first match. Takato had his Virus Deck, which was inspected. It was legal, and the other Deck hadn't been changed, with no cards missing.

Once confirmed, he got to the table. Again, he won but his opponent did _not_ expect him to manage to pull out a Daemon and a Beelzemon by the third turn, and won then and there, with a Triple Strike Modify Card.

The match was perfectly legit, but Rika saw more in that one than anyone else. _'That settles it. He's a threat.'_

He got back, and the three just continued talking, until it was Rika's turn.

He watched her game, but ignored that of the third match. He knew Rika would win.

The Final Four players were now in the waiting room with Kari next to Takato. A Judge came in, as it was an intermission. "Alright, the Final four will be done differently than the rest of the matches up to this point." This earned everyone's attention. "This is a last minute decision by the Judges and accepted by the Higher ups, and officials. The Final Match will be a 4-way Free for all. This is the final match. You have 30 minutes to prepare for this."

Takato blinked. "Okay. It's not as bad as my Practice Matches at school. I had to face 10 at once. 3 opponents? That's nothing." He shrugged.

Just then Kazu and Kenta ran into the waiting room, with a Soda and a Hamburger. "Chumley you May have dominated so far, but you'll need some kind of food." Kazu handed them over to Takato.

Kenta handed Kari a Chef Salad. "My mom also got you this, Kari. Said you might like it."

Kari nodded. "Tell her I said thanks, please?" Kenta nodded. "So who all came?"

"Dude, with the fact that we convinced the Principal that the Prize Money you win was going to the School, he made it into a Field Trip, with a Reserved Section. We've got the entire D Block filled with Students cheering you on!" Kazu exclaimed.

Rika was surprised. "Wait, you're doing this for a School?"

Takato nodded. "I really have little need for the Prize Money. My family may run a Bakery, but really that's all I need. I work there in the Mornings, and I get a paycheck for it. Sometimes cops ask why a kid is working, but they simply say it's for my Allowance. In a sense, my Paycheck _is_ my allowance. I use the money for whatever I need."

"And what about the Hazard Meltdown card? How did you get it?" Rika questioned, actually curious.

"Believe it or not, I felt a pull to the pack and found it in there. Seriously, I picked up the pack, and I got the urge that something inside wanted me to use it. Turns out, the moment I felt the card itself, I knew. It wasn't me choosing the pack. It was the card choosing me. Sounds like BS, doesn't it?"

"More like it sounds crazy but with you, I'm thinking it's actually possible." Kenta admitted. "Considering how you always pull the right cards at time they're most needed, I think _that's_ possible."

Kari nodded. "I agree. That's actually believable, since he's also something known as the Guardian of the Hazard."

Rika's eyes widened. _'Renamon told me all about that. The Hazard is known as a destructive force beyond all Measure. Legend says that only one of two Digimon can use it at all. One Digimon Line, period. The Mega levels are the only ones that use it actively. The Guardian of the Hazard is meant to control the Hazard, but something is wrong. It shouldn't be a human.'_ Her eyes then narrowed at Takato as he was eating. _'Unless that's the reason no Digimon has ever found the essence. Because if its been in this world, and he's the Guardian...'_

Takato finished his meal. "Thanks, guys. The following is a Four way Battle Royale between all others."

Kazu and Kenta blinked. "You win." They said at once.

The other two were a little ticked that two that didn't even get to the final 16 was dismissing them. That is, until Kari spoke. "Takato, you're able to face off with 10 opponents only losing 700 points, and getting rid of a grand total of 100,000 points. You're an expert at battling multiple opponents at once, especially since it was a handicapped match, not a Free for all."

Now _that_ was a demoralizing statement for the other two. Rika, who had already heard this, wasn't exactly deterred. "Takato, I only have one question." She started.

"Okay, shoot."

"Do you play as well as you fight?" Rika asked.

"They're about on par." Takato shrugged.

She held out a hand. "Tag on them before going after each other?"

He gripped it. "Deal."

The two others gulped. They knew they were screwed.

And screwed they were. When Takato and Rika started, the two went down quickly. 7500 Data Points gone from each of them without a scratch on the two.

Then they smirked at each other. The two shared a thought. _'Game on.'_ This one part lasted 20 minutes in complete silence. Moves were played, but not a single word was spoken. Points were taken, but they knew what the opponent was doing.

The match was pretty even, even at this juncture. The entire crowd was silent, and there was a single person in the crowd that saw what was truly happening between the two players.

He was a member of the Japanese Self Defense Force, a High Ranking officer, at that. His son was brutally destroyed, but the two that were still up had his attention. The way the two were playing wasn't that of two kids.

No, he felt like he was watching two Experienced Military Generals duke it out on a Warfront.

When his son came up, he was ignored. "Dad?"

"These two..."

"They were too good for me..." He sounded sad.

"Satoshi, you stood no chance against these two." He said, earning a confused look from his son. "The way these two are going at it is reminding me of _my_ superiors. And they're all Experienced Generals. This isn't just a game to them. This is an all out _war_."

"You're not mad?"

"As long as I can watch, then not a chance." The father turned his attention back to the 'game'. Rika and Takato were still playing after an entire hour, both of which finally reaching 2000 points.

This was an intense match and it was being aired throughout the Country of Japan. It was surprising that such a high level game was being played and for so long.

However, at this point, Rika had realized it. She played a good game, but it was now that she realized it. She smirked and looked at him, as he raised an eyebrow. "This is a good match."

He nodded. It was her turn, so he was wary of any tricks. "That it is. We're pretty much even."

She nodded. "If this is your true skill, I think it's a good thing you haven't played the Hazard Meltdown card of yours. Unless it's in the other Deck."

"No, it's in this one." He admitted. "You going to propose a Wager?"

"Yes. You win, I'll try to open up to Rena like you say I should."

Takato thought about it, and nodded. "If you win, I'll get off your back on the Two Worlds matter."

Rika nodded. "You got a deal."

Takato nodded. "To borrow a phrase I probably shouldn't know: Shit just got real."

Rika raised an eyebrow but didn't comment. They continued, but the JSDF member in the crowd noticed the increase in skill. _'Those two were holding back? This just went from War to outright Annihilation!'_ He thought as he noticed the speed and skill of the game pick up.

"Dad?"

"Satoshi... They've been holding back. The skill just doubled along with the speed of play." The man narrowed his eyes. "This is more than just a game, like I said, but its more serious than a war of cards. It just got personal if their conversation is any indication."

"Huh?"

"They just made an extra wager that puts their ideals on the line. Now neither can back down, or afford to hold back."

It took another 10 minutes before Rika had 100 Points, and Takato had 300. It was now Takato's turn, and he grinned sadistically. Rika didn't like that grin. "It looks like a meltdown is hitting the field." Her eyes widened as two words ran through her head. _'Oh shit!'_

"Hazard Meltdown has finally been played." The Announcer said, in awe. The entire field had been cleared.

"Now, I play Demidevimon, and Warp-Digivolution, bring out Daemon." Takato said, looking her in the eye. "And now, I win."

She sighed, and held out her hand with a smile. "You're right. And I'll uphold my end of the deal. Expect me to drop by your place later on." He gripped her hand. "Friends?"

"You got it." They both smirked at each other and waved a hand out into the crowd, as everyone cheered. Takato then found Section D, and gave it a Thumbs up, and winked at them.

Kari ran out and hugged him, before kissing him on live Television. Rika rolled her eyes. "I have to give credit where credit is due. I'm not above that. The better player won here." She still sent him a smirk. "But it won't be you next time."

"Maybe. Maybe not. Only time will tell if the Guardian of the Hazard or the Digimon Queen will win next time." Takato returned the smirk.

The three walked off the stage side by side. Once they were out of shot from any camera, Rika continued. "But no matter who won that match, I actually had fun... for once."

Takato sent her a smile. "If it takes a challenge like that to get you to have fun in a game, then I don't know what I'd do."

Rika shrugged. "Eh, you'll figure it out. I just hope my mom didn't see that."

Takato blinked. "Bad relationship?"

"That's an understatement."

Takato and Kari sat down. "Want to tell us?"

So, Rika explained it. How her mother acted, and what happened afterwards. Takato and Kari listened to her. "And if she saw that..." She trailed off.

Takato thought for a few seconds before sighing. "Sounds like she wanted to get you to open up to her." This earned a confused look from Rika, but otherwise she was silent. He took that as a sign to continue. "All the times she asked you to do something with her, it's because it's something she knew how to do, and liked. But from what I can gather, she doesn't know all that much about you." Rika snorted.

"Understatement of the year."

Takato shook his head. "But not once did you mention offering something else up. An alternative, so to speak."

That made Rika think. _'Come to think of it, he's right. I never did offer anything to do.'_

"From what I can gather, you think she doesn't understand you. In a way, that's true. But the reason she doesn't know anything about you is because you've pretty much shut her out of your life. She doesn't know anything about you because you're not letting her know. Want some advice to possibly bridge that gap?"

Rika sighed and nodded. "Might as well listen. I did say I'd open up."

Takato nodded. "Next time, instead of just declining what she offers, or asks you to do with her, suggest something different. Since your mother is a Model, she knows a lot more about Fashion than anything else. Fashion, like many things, is an Art. An Art Museum might be a good choice. Fashion is an Art, drawing is an art, even Cars and Construction are versions of Art. Show her the outside point of view. She's usually only on the inside looking out. Show her the Outside looking in. If that doesn't work, then think of something else. Sooner or later, you'll find something you both like, and can agree on. When you find it, you've got common ground. From there, the rift can finally begin to heal."

"You sound like you've been through this before?"

Kari then looked at Takato. "That sounds like what happened with Sora and her mother."

Takato blinked. "Really? Didn't know that. I gave the same advice to Jeri, to try and get along with her Stepmother. It's pretty much the same situation. Jeri doesn't want to give up on her real mother, and didn't give her Stepmother a chance." He shrugged. "Anyway, Rika this isn't something that can be fixed overnight. You give up, the situation will only get worse. You have to compromise. Finding Common ground is a start, but won't actually bring you together like family should be."

Rika sighed. "I'll try. But if the Art Museum doesn't work, what will?"

Takato shook his head. "I'm afraid you'll have to find that one out on your own, because I don't know her. You could try to ask her mother what it was like in her childhood, and try to bring back one of those memories, but again, that's just a guess and it's just as likely to blow up in your face as it is to work."

"So there, the question I want to ask myself is: is it worth the risk?" Rika continued, earning a nod. "The higher the risk the better the payout if it works."

Takato nodded. He then heard footsteps coming up to the door behind him, and continued. "Good luck, Rika. I hope you find the place you wish to be." He looked at Kari, who both turned to the door which opened right then and there.

Rika then knew what he was really saying. _'Good luck with your mother.'_ was the true message, and what he said was just a cover up. She nodded, and watched them leave with the two friends of theirs.

Rika was silent for another 5 minutes. "Renamon... I'm sorry." She said, before walking off.

The hidden fox was surprised at that. She may have been beaten, but her pride wasn't destroyed. However, at the moment, her honor was more important than her pride. She would honor the deal she made... Even if it killed her.

-a few months later-

Takato was walking toward the Purple dinosaur in the park to see Kazu and Kenta. Kari wasn't due for another two days, and she already knows about the second Tamer: Henry and his partner Terriermon.

She immediately linked Terriermon to Joe's Gomamon personality wise, and Takato agreed. He hadn't heard much from Rika, but figured that something was going right.

However, just as he was about to enter the Dinosaur, he tilted his head left slightly, causing a clear diamond to whiz past his ear and imbed itself in the Dino. Kazu and Kenta looked at it, and found a note at the end of it, tied to a ring.

Kazu tried to read it. "This is just random scribble." Takato looked at it, and saw a newer Dialect of Digitext.

"Let me see that, Kazu." The Visor wearing teen handed it over, and Takato mentally translated it.

Takato,

Thanks for the help. I appreciate it, and so does my mother. Also, the reason I'm sending this now is because I wanted to thank you and Kari for what you told me. Renamon Digivolved two days ago. This is because I finally opened up.

Also, my mother wants to meet you. She's hoping for this Sunday for dinner. I had Renamon put the message in Digitext, hoping you could read this.

If you can't read this, Head to the Sewer Tunnel at Sunset tomorrow.

Rika

Takato blinked. "Huh. So that's what's up." He looked over his shoulder, knowing Renamon was there. "Thanks for the info, Rena. Let her know that I'll be there."

Renamon left the area without being noticed.

"Chumley, who was that?"

"Oh, just a friend of mine delivering a message." Takato shrugged.

"Who, and how the heck can you understand that?" Kazu asked, confused.

"It's a language that few humans know. I've learned how to read it, and I've known it for years. I've used it so much I actually take class notes with it sometimes out of pure instinct." He admitted. "Still, I'm surprised that the Hazard Guardian title stuck." He crushed the crystal, and pocketed the note.

The three hung around for a while, before they packed up and were going to go to school. However, Takato noticed something else.

A Blue Card with a pixellated D and an Agumon on it. He took it and, out of pure Curiosity, scanned it.

He put it in the box as it got stuck, and decided to leave it for later. _'I'll figure out what that thing did after school.'_

And indeed he did. However, when he saw it, his eyes widened. _'No way... I'm the Third Tamer? Oh, the Irony...'_ He grinned. _'To think that I was asked to train the Tamers but I become one myself... Oh, Shadow's gonna get a kick out of this!'_

He then took his Cards home, but the D-Ark was clipped to a Belt loop. _'I'm only gonna make it even more Ironic with my Partner. I can tell that this one isn't linked to a Digimon, meaning I can make my own.'_

He went home early, surprising his mother. "Takato, I thought you were going to do some patrols?"

Takato shook his head with a grin. "Something else came up, and the irony of the it all is a big point. Now, I've got to make a Partner. Oh, and I've got plans on Sunday for dinner. A friend wants to thank me for some advice I gave them, and no it isn't Kari."

"Oh. Any chance I can come along?"

"I'd have to ask, but it should be okay."

"Alright, dinner's at eight." Mie replied.

Takato went upstairs and found a notepad of drawings. In it was a few pictures and words written in Digitext. A few years ago, he decided to check with Shadow on the Digivolution line of Megidramon and Gallantmon, which, Ironically, were the same line. He gave the name and approximate stats of each one from In-training to Mega.

Apparently, he was the last one. _'But not anymore.'_ He thought. After which, he drew out the other forms leading up to Mega, attacks for each one, type, level, and their stats. He figured it wouldn't take them all at once, due to the size of the slot, so he tried to push it in from the Rookie Stage onward and left it there. He decided to meditate and about 2 seconds into it, he heard it working just like he thought it would: One Page at a time.

When it finished, he felt a life force tied to it, and he went into Deep meditation. At the moment, he seemed dead to the world. Sight, Sound, Smell, Touch, and Taste were all shut off. Instead, he was feeling out the life force of everything in the city.

There was only 2 Digimon in the city, Renamon and Terri- _'The hell?'_ Another one just popped up, but that's not what the problem was. He zeroed in on it, and tried to analyze it. _'An In-training? And it's flying that high? No, scratch that. What the hell is- Whoa...'_ He just found a massive power inside of it. It was mostly sealed off, and it didn't match its own power. _'This is Insane! Even Gallantmon and Megidramon have the Hazard tied to their main Power Source, but this one... These are two Separate Powers from two different Sources! It's like the second one shouldn't even be there!'_ He left his meditative state, got up and picked up the house phone. "Shadow, we may have a major problem here."

_Please tell me you didn't find an In-Training with Two Separate Power sources, one of which probably doesn't belong._

"I did."

_That means Zhuqiaomon is going to invade the South Quadrant's Real World to get the Light of Digivolution back._

"Please tell me that the In-training I sensed was _not_ what I think you mean."

_The In-Training has the Light of Digivolution sealed in it. You can blame Azulongmon for that._

"And that means Shinjuku is about to become a Hotspot for Digimon Crossing over. This sucks." Takato sighed. "Oh, another Tamer appeared."

_Did you meet up with them like the other two?_

"Can't."

_And here I thought you were competent._

"Can you meet and greet yourself?" Takato asked. "Without going insane, or talking to imaginary friends?"

… _Are you implying what I think you are?_

"If by that you mean, I'm the Third Tamer, then yes, I am."

_Ironic._

"That's not all. There was no Digimon Partner assigned to me. What makes it even more Ironic is what I decided to scan for my partner."

_Which card did you scan?_ Shadow questioned.

"Not a card. A Drawing. You want to know the Ironic thing about this?"

_I'm probably gonna regret this, but what did you scan?_

"A drawing of Megidramon's and Gallantmon's Digivolution Line, from Rookie to Mega. Both Mega forms, in fact."

… _That is Ironic._

"Why do you think I did it? Kari's partner can use both of her Alternate forms. Why not make my Partner able to use mine?"

_Takato, you are Insane._

"Comes with the Title." He shrugged. "Anyway, I'll keep an eye out for the new guy. I just have to wait until my Partner hatches and crosses over."

_I'll let Kari know when she comes to the Dark Ocean. Anything else to note?_

"Nothing of this much importance."

_Good._ Shadow Hung up Takato following suit, before sighing. "Seriously, my life just screws itself over." He then walked out to the Bakery and into the kitchen, where his dad was. "Need some help?"

"Thanks." Takehiro replied, as Takato started helping with making the bread. They made a few random quips, but otherwise, nothing new happened.

-meanwhile, in the East Quadrant-

Kari and Tai were stuck in a Cave in. Apparently their family was on vacation, but while exploring a cave, the entrance collapsed on them.

Kari, Tai and their parents were stuck in the cave, but Kari and Tai were the only ones awake. There were no materials for a fire, and Tai could barely see.

"Man, this sucks." Tai said. "We can't even move around, or we might lose track of our parents. It's just too dark. For all we know, we'll just hit a wall."

Kari blinked, though Tai didn't see it. "What do you mean? I can see just fine."

"Kari, it's pitch black in here, how can you..." Tai then realized something. "You still have abilities from your Crest, don't you?"

"Tai, what are you talking about?" Yuuko Kamiya, their mother, asked.

"Uh..."

"Mom, you remember Takato, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, Takato, Tai and I have a connection to something called Digimon."

"Wait, Takato has a partner?" Tai asked, surprised. "Why didn't he help?"

"Because he didn't have a partner... and I've known him since about a year after the incident at Highton View Terrace. Almost 3 years later, 7 kids were called to a place known as the Digital World. There was supposed to be Eight, but the eighth one wasn't there. The Eighth one was known as the Child of Light. If you want the technical term, that would mean me. Tai had the Crest of Courage, which, from what I've been told, is aligned with Fire."

"What does that mean?"

"Being the Child of Light has its Advantages. And since I'm coming clean about that..." She put her hand near each other, and a ball of light formed in between them. "I have pretty much complete control over light." The ball disappeared, and her entire body started to glow. "I'm my own personal Glow stick." She joked.

"This isn't something to joke about, Kari!" Yuuko scolded.

"Mom... I've been able to do this since I was Five. I never told you because you really didn't need to know." Kari retorted.

"And how does Takato fit into this?" Tai asked.

"Because while I'm the Child of Light, he's the Guardian of the Hazard. Tai, if you can get Izzy to talk to Gennai about it, he should know quite a bit on the subject."

"This Hazard Sounds Dangerous."

"According to Takato, the last 20 chosen wielders of it killed themselves." Kari explained. "They couldn't handle the power they had to control. He can. While learning how to draw on it and control it, I was there. I kept him calm, and in control of it. It's because of me he hasn't given in. He still has urges but I can get rid of them. He's not easy to anger, never was in fact, but that alone isn't enough. He needed a purpose. A reason to use it. He decided to use it to Protect everyone, and he found ways to do just that. I saw him destroy a cliff once. I fixed it up right afterwards. He's also a lot like Tai." She looked at the Teen. "He's taken many personality traits from you. I guess he'd consider you an older brother. He looks up to you."

Tai blinked, and it was seen in Kari's Light. "Really? That might not be a good thing."

Kari giggled. "You'd be surprised, Tai."

Their dad cleared his throat. "Now that you mention him, I should probably mention that there are no records of a Takato Matsuki in all of Japan."

Kari blinked. "You did a Background check, didn't you?"

"He doesn't exist, and is probably..."

"He didn't lie about his identity, dad."

"What makes you so sure on that?"

"Because I've met his parents, and his friends, and seen them myself. He didn't show them to me, I had to find them on my own without him knowing. They're not in this world, and he's not _from_ this world."

"He's an alien?"

"In a way. He's human, but not from this Earth." Tai noticed what she meant.

"Please tell me that you're not saying he's from a different version of _our_ Earth?" He asked in a deadpanned voice.

"He is. Same planet, same layout, same history, different Reality."

Tai palmed his face. "I hate it when I'm right."

Kari shrugged. "It happens. I've been talking, playing and training with him from a Young age. He's a year older than I am, though."

Tai sighed. "I'm really gonna have to ask Gennai about him."

Kari shook her head. "Gennai can't keep track of those in other Quadrants, at least I don't think he can. If you want someone that can monitor all Quadrants, another friend of mine, Shadow, is the one you want to talk to. He's the reason I knew about me being the Child of Light, and Takato knowing about the Guardian of the Hazard. He found out, and he let us know _why_ we had those abilities."

"But without the crest, how can you even control all of this?"

"It's because I had the abilities _before_ I got the crest. I was born with them, but I found out after I got it. When I gave up the Crest of Light, I didn't think I could use them at all, either. As it turns out, the Crest of Light held those powers back. With the Crest Gatomon could only reach Ultimate level. Without it, I've made her go into two Mega level forms: Magnadramon and Ophanimon."

"Hold on! Gatomon's back?"

Kari blinked. "You mean I didn't tell you? Gatomon's been staying with Shadow. He watches over all the Quadrants. I'm the link to the East Quadrant, and Takato's the link to the South Quadrant. His home is in a Place known as the Dark Ocean, which is where I met Takato out of pure chance... it's also where we found out about our abilities, and trained ourselves to control them. Using Light in a world where Darkness reigns free is actually quite the task. It certainly was when I started out, that's for sure."

"So that's why you had the Crest of Light? You were the Child of Light beforehand?" Tai asked, mainly for confirmation.

Kari nodded. "Most likely. The Crest was a limiter for me. Remember how I gave it up? That let it flow much more freely, and let me progress. Because of that, I was able to get Gatomon to Magnadramon and Ophanimon, both of which are Mega Level. Ophanimon is about the same level as Omnimon in strength."

Tai whistled. "That strong, huh?"

Kari nodded. "Magnadramon is even stronger than Ophanimon. By about 25% actually."

Tai sat back. "Talk about raw potential."

"And I can match Ophanimon while using my own abilities." This brought _everyone's_ attention to her. "Ophanimon and I are pretty much equal in ability, but in the end she'd win by outlasting me. Magnadramon... I can only last about an hour, and that's on the defensive. I'd never get a hit in at that point."

"Are you saying you can handle a Mega Level Digimon on your own?!" Tai was obviously shocked.

"As of a year ago, yeah. If I had that much control and skill I probably could've beaten Piedmon on my own, if I didn't, I'd have at least weakened him enough for Wargreymon to finish him in about 30 seconds. But that's nothing compared to Takato. He'd be able to win without a doubt."

This had her parents in shock. "Then is it possible for you to make a hole out of here?"

Kari blinked, before palming her face. "Why didn't I think of that?" She stood up, before walking to the wall. "Hmm..." She put a hand on it, and focused on her inner light. She had long since realized that she can use her own Light to see in a direct path through solid objects. She could also do this to find a Life Force. The glow around her died, as she focused on the wall.

After about 30 seconds, her eyes opened. "Got it."

"You gonna use some kind of Light Show to get us out?"

Kari smirked, but it wasn't noticed. She glowed, and spoke. "Get behind me. All of you. This is a Dangerous move, and I don't want any of you in the crossfire."

Tai didn't hesitate, knowing that it could be possible, and dragged his parents to the same point. Kari put both hands in front of her towards the wall, and the glow moved from her entire body into her arms, and finally her hands. The light was also extremely intense. "Here we go! Holy Flare!" A large beam left her hands and tore through the cave wall. Tai, Yuuko, and Susumu Kamiya felt the backdraft and they weren't even beside it!

They saw a Light at the end of the newly formed tunnel, and Kari was panting. "That... I got from Magnadramon." She managed. "Come on. We need to get going."

Tai nodded, picked up Kari, and ran out of the hole with their parents following. The walls of the tunnel were a slick white. "What's the white stuff on the walls?" Tai asked while running.

"Light Energy Residue. It'll keep the tunnel from collapsing until it fades." Kari explained. "10 minutes is all we have."

After they got out, Tai was panting, as were their parents. "How?" Susumu asked, still panting.

Kari managed to stand on her own, and tried to even out her own breathing. "Years of Practice." She answered. That's really all it was. Years of practice controlling, and building it up before it could work. "Downside is, I've never had to contain it that much. It was less than 10% of its full strength, and a beam instead of a bomb." She finally managed to even out her breathing. Her spars with Takato had helped her out quite a bit. "Note to self: Ask Takato how he manages to control Hazard Joust."

The four of them were now resting at the mouth of the new tunnel, when the tunnel itself collapsed. It was another 20 minutes before some Rangers came into the area. "What happened over here?"

"Cave collapsed. A White light led us out." Kari replied. "It kept a part of a tunnel up while we got out of there. If it didn't, we'd probably be dead right now."

Tai blinked. _'What the... she's lying?'_

"And the beam?"

"That was the light that got us out of there." Kari replied, sending a look at her parents saying "Not a word. I can handle this."

"I see. Do you know what caused that beam?"

"No." Kari said with a straight face. The Ranger stared at her face for a few second. Her time with Shadow finally showing its worth. "Okay, I'll call up a copter and take you down the mountain. You look like you ran a mile uphill."

Kari sent him a smile. "Thank you, sir."

The Ranger held up a walkie talkie and radioed in. Kari sent her family a look that said she'd explain later.

After they got to the bottom, they were all given a checkup and it turned out that Kari was the least exhausted, while Tai looked the most Physically fit among the four, and even measured that way.

When the results were given it was confusing. Kari gave a simple explanation, which was also true. "I have a bit of Martial Arts training. It helped my previously weak immune system."

Yuuko and Susumu blinked at the answer. They didn't expect that. The doctors were also confused. "Weak Immune System? It's easily twice as effective as the Average human. How did _that_ happen?"

Kari blinked a few times, thoroughly confused. "Huh? Twice? I thought it had gone to normal levels."

Tai sent her a look but saw the genuine confusion. The lies didn't fool him, but he knew that she didn't expect that.

Kari, however, was in thought. _'How did it get that high? I mean, sure I've been going to a Place literally running on Darkness but... Damn, so that's how I did it. I'm willing to bet that Takato is the same way.'_ Kari just looked at the Doctor. "I'm sorry, doctor, I don't know what to tell you. I thought it had gone to a normal." _'Really I don't.'_

"I see." The doctor sighed. "Do you mind if I talk with the one that trained you? I'd like to know what he did."

Kari shook her head. "Shadow-sensei doesn't talk to others that much. He's a bit of a recluse, and a Hermit. He taught me almost everything I know. One other, but his Immune System was normal when we started."

"Then where can we find the other student?"

"He'll be harder to find than Shadow-sensei. I'm called Light, and he's called Hazard. I'm easy to see but hard to define. He's easy to find, but hard to pinpoint. It's like he's everywhere, yet no where. It's like... He's like the wind in that regard. You'll always see him, but you'll never know its him."

The doctor looked nonplussed. "Fine. We'll have to figure out how you did it, though."

"I honestly don't know how it happened. Could've been the Martial Arts, but I don't know." Kari admitted. "Also, on the outside neither of us look like we could be Martial Artists. I know _he_ doesn't, but I saw him run 100-meters in 29 seconds just two months ago."

Tai's eyes shot past his hairline. "Seriously? He's that fast?"

"Faster if he has to be." Kari admitted. "The style Shadow-sensei trained him in requires a lot of speed, and power."

"Would you care for a spar, then?" Another person asked. "I'm the leader of the Rangers around here, and I can wrestle the wildlife and still win."

Kari blinked. "Right now?"

"Of course not. I was thinking after we get you all fed, and it settles down." He replied with a smile.

Kari thought for a moment and shrugged. "Why not? I could probably use the exercise. I only get to spar with Hazard these days."

The Kamiya family just looked at Kari as she ate without a care in the world. Tai sighed, before going at the food as carefree as she did. Her parents, however, didn't want it to happen, but Yuuko stopped Susumu from commenting or stopping her. She wanted to see the truth.

An hour after they ate, Kari broke the meditative trance she went into after finishing her meal. When she did, she got up, looked at the Ranger and nodded, before the group headed outside.

Kari stood in one place, arms at her sides, fists only half clenched next to her legs. The Ranger took up a basic stance, and Kari saw the holes immediately.

However, she also saw that the style was made for something other than hand to hand, meaning it was an adaptation, not the actual style. She hid her grin. "You know, you're standing there like a friend of mine used to. She fought using speed, flexibility and counters."

Kari then grinned slightly. "Sounds a lot like Shadow-sensei told me the style was made for, but I adapted it to myself."

"Let's see how good you are against the Warrior of Wood." Kari's eyes instantly narrowed at the proclamation, before she blocked a right hook with her left palm, surprising him.

"What are you doing in the East?" Kari questioned, her voice now cold and serious, before she kneed his stomach, causing him to block with his right leg, and jump back with a frown.

"How?"

"The Warrior of Wood is from the North. Not the East. We're in the East, and Hazard is in the South. Now _what's going on_?" Kari continued.

Tai and the Ranger are the only ones that understood what she truly meant.

"I'm surprised you knew about that, but if that's the case, I probably don't need to hold back on my other abilities." He threw out his right fist causing a few vines to charge her. She dodged easily, before swing her left arm in a horizontal arc, releasing a wave of light that cut through to him, as he ducked under it, and he was surprised.

"That was a Light Element Attack..."

"I'm the Child of Light, you idiot. Of _course_ it's a Light Element move."

"And this Hazard person you mentioned is Probably the Guardian of the Hazard, I presume?"

Kari nodded. "He's also my boyfriend."

The Ranger smirked. "That's good to know. How'd he manage?"

"Years of practice. Just like me." Kari replied, before glowing slightly before blurring to right in front of him, and sending palm to his chin, sending him flying into the air, before he recovered and sent a few more vines after her from behind. The vines went through her before she faded, and landed a reverse roundhouse to his back sending him further up, as she blurred and ended up above him, performing a double Axe-handle sending him into the ground. As she landed, she was panting.

Using that move often was not a good idea for her. Takato adjusted to it quickly, because the Hazard was meant for combat. Light wasn't.

The guy got up, pretty beaten up. "Damn, I didn't think you'd be _that_ powerful. It's like facing off with a Mega." He looked at Kari, who looked slightly winded. "But you can't keep it up, can you?"

Kari managed a small smile. "Maybe I can't, or maybe..." He was found in a Full nelson, surprising him. "I'm just looking to fool you with a Trick of the Light."

"I gotta admit I didn't see that coming." He admitted, before sending his left leg behind hers before she used her right to kick him in the nads, causing his eyes to widen, and him to cry out in pain, and her to let go.

When she did, he fell to the ground. "Why...?"

"Just because I'm the Child of Light, doesn't mean I always play fair." She explained. "Especially since Light is rarely an offensive element. It still makes for good visual illusions, though. And _those_ are only limited by my own imagination. According to Hazard, my Imagination can be as bad as his, but in a fight, that Imagination turns into his opponents worst nightmare."

"You'd probably still win like this." He managed to get out.

"Actually, he's pretty much immune to that strike." Kari admitted. "It would've gotten him to lose his grip on me when he has me in a grapple, but it's not much of a difference. Just enough for me to get out." She held out a hand, which he gripped, as she helped him up, and her hand glowed, healing him of all pain he felt. "Still, that was definitely a good match. Although if you faced Hazard, you'd have lost. The one that sent you down would've knocked you out, or worse."

"I'll keep that in mind." They shook and walked towards the rest of Kari's family, and she smiled at them. "I'm used to facing down stronger, but not by much."

Their car was driven up to the area and they decided to go back home early. Kari and Tai just talked about what Kari could do. "You know, Tai, most of these things I could do during that trip to the Digital World."

"Then why didn't you?"

"I didn't want to let them out. Until now, Takato and his parents are the only ones that know, aside from Gatomon and Shadow-sensei."

"How do you know that Takato didn't tell anyone?"

"Tai, would you tell someone a secret that wasn't yours tell?"

"Not a chance." Tai defended. "I'm not that kind of person. But Takato..."

"Is just like you in that matter. My abilities aren't his story to tell. He won't tell anyone even if I give him permission. I told his parents, not him." Kari countered.

Tai didn't have a counter for that, so he just nodded. "I guess that makes sense. But why tell them, and not us?"

"Because Takato has to fight Digimon on his own, because, until recently, he's been the only one in the South Quadrant capable of fending off Digimon attacks. They had to know that he could handle it, and I let them know in case I was around, so I could help out."

A beeping noise was heard, and she pulled out her Digivice. It had the Hazard symbol with 'Urgent' in Digitext underneath. Kari blinked. "I'll have to get back to you. I'll see you back at the house."

"Kari, I'm not stopping the...car..." The was a flash of white and Kari was gone.

-Dark Ocean-

Shadow looked at Kari as she appeared. "What's up Shadow?"

"Major problem in the South Quadrant. The Light of Digivolution has been turned into a Digimon, and made it to the South Quadrant's Real World."

"Can't Takato, Rika and Henry handle that?" Kari asked.

"I called you here because now Digimon will be crossing over far more frequently, and Henry isn't fighting. It's already gone from every other week, to 3 today." Shadow explained. "The three of them will be more occupied with the Digimon crossing over. If you go over there for a date, it would either be interrupted by them, or that _would_ be the date."

Kari nodded, but then realized something. "There's something else you're not telling me about Takato."

Shadow grinned, though his face was still clouded in shadow aside from his Crimson eyes. Even so, Kari knew that he was grinning. "Oh yes, the irony is building. Takato has been chosen as the Third Tamer, and I had asked him to train the first three."

Kari's eyes widened. "Since when?" She asked, thoroughly surprised.

"Last night, he had chosen his partner, which is where the Irony continues." Shadow's unseen grin just turned into a Smirk. "Seriously, using the drawings and stats of Megidramon's Digivolution line, which is also the same as Gallantmon's, to choose his own partner?"

Kari blinked. Once, twice. Three times. She burst out laughing. Gatomon was confused. "What's so funny?" She asked, not getting it.

"Because Gatomon," Kari lightened up on the Laughing to explain. "Takato is a Digimorph with Megidramon and Gallantmon!" Her laughter picked up and increased in intensity.

Gatomon thought about it, and then realized the Irony of the situation, before laughing it up, just like she did when she found out about Kari being a Digimorph with Ophanimon and Magnadramon, both of which were _her_ Mega forms.

After about 10 minutes of laughing themselves hoarse, they managed to calm down and wiped the tears out of their eyes. "Man, I needed that. I have _got_ to figure out if he did that on purpose after getting his D-Ark."

A red glow appeared, and out of it popped Takato. "What's so important that I have... Kari? What are you doing here? I wasn't expecting you until..."

Kari just walked up to him. "Did you do it on purpose?"

Takato blinked in confusion, before he had an idea. "You mean the Partner, right?" Kari nodded. "It was meant to be an ironic joke on my part when I found out I was the third Tamer."

"Well, it was definitely a good one." She smiled at him. "Even Gatomon got in on it." There was still amusement in her eyes. "You know, Tai's gonna flip when he finds out you have an Overpowered Virus Type version of Agumon as a Partner."

Takato rubbed the back of his head. "I figured that. I think I should add white gloves just to complete the image... and piss him off."

"Oh yeah... I kind of revealed that you had a Connection to the Digital World. But as we just found out..."

"It's bigger than you knew. Guilmon hasn't shown up yet, though, so I gotta wait for him." Takato admitted. "Also, I had to skip lunch for this."

Kari thought about it, and nodded. "Give me a few minutes." She left in a white flash, and ended up in a car, right outside a Fast Food place. She went in, and saw her family. There was a Salad there along with an extra double cheeseburger. "Oh, there you are Kari. What happened, and where did you go?"

"Shadow-sensei called me up, and let me tell you I got a laugh out of the irony." She eyed the Cheeseburger. "Won't be enough..." She mused, before walking up to the counter. "May I help you?" The cashier asked.

Her family watched as she placed a rather large order. "That'll be 2,828 yen, please." Kari paid the man in Cash. And waited with her family, as she ate what her family got her.

"Who is that for?" Susumu asked.

"Takato didn't get lunch. He was called out of it, and I figured you guys were in a Fast Food place of sorts. Also, that money is stuff I earned in the South Quadrant, Takato's world. I normally use the money for Cards in a certain Trading Card Game down there. It's actually a good one. Ever since I found out about it, I've actually been playing Shadow-sensei in it, same with Takato. Takato also has one of the rarest cards that he got because of, what would seem to be, pure luck. Really it was more of an instinctual pick. To my knowledge only 10 copies of that card was made in _any_ rarity. He also has the highest rarity it was made in. It's also a card he's only played twice, aside from when he faces me. Since he got it, he's only played it a total of 15 times, all but 2 of which were on me."

Tai nodded. "So that's all for him?"

Kari nodded. "He'll need it. It's why I got so much."

_Number 29 your order is ready._

Kari had finished her meal, and went to pick it up. There was two large bags. "Thank you."

"Have a nice day, miss." The Cashier sent an envious look at her.

"You too. And none of this is for me. It's for a friend that can definitely eat all of it." Kari then walked out, and got into the car's backseat, and Flashed out.

Back at the Dark Ocean, she saw Takato, and handed over both bags. "Here's your lunch. I hope you like it." She sent him a smile.

"Thanks Kari." He then tore into the first bag of sandwiches, and fries.

Shadow then put an egg next to him. His D-Ark reacted to it, causing him to stop. The thing glowed, and out popped a Red blob. Takato reached into the other bag, and fed it some fries, causing it to glow and become a more defined red blob. Takato knew this to be Gigimon, Guilmon's In-training form. He grinned, before setting more food out for him. "Eat up, Gigimon. When you reach Rookie, we'll train you up to be big and strong. M'kay?" He said with a smile on his face.

"M'kay!" Gigimon replied.

As the second bag was finished, Gigimon glowed and Digivolved into Guilmon. Takato was also sending a bit of the hazard into Gigimon as he ate, it was a permanent transfer, and Guilmon had the symbol of the Digital Hazard on his chest. "I should probably let you know that Guilmon's data and his forms below Mega have been erased from all Cores of each quadrant of the Digital World. Gallantmon and Megidramon are the only ones in any Database. Period. I should know, I already checked." Shadow explained. "Also, I have your D-Ark linked to _my_ Database. It has Digimon that has been spotted in any of the Four Quadrants, along with Guilmon's evolutions, because you scanned them."

Takato nodded. "Alright, I'll make sure things go okay. You still up for tomorrow, Kari?"

She nodded. "We ended our Camping trip early, though."

"Good to know."

00000x00000

Chapter complete!


	3. Chapter 3

Okay, let's continue.

**Chapter 3**

It's been a week since Guilmon hatched, and reached his Rookie form. Since then, Takato had been training him, however, Rika had managed to find him and cancel on the Dinner date with her mother. Turns out, something had called her out of town.

Rika also started hanging out with Takato, though to the public it was because of mutual respect.

Few knew that the true reason was because the two had become friends, and allies once she saw Guilmon. However, during one of their spars, Takato gave Guilmon a few guidelines, which confused Rika.

"Don't let her hit your eyes, and block her paws. That's all you'll need to know." was what he said.

Needless to say Guilmon got the idea fairly quick. Renamon may have been too fast for Guilmon, but blocking was not a problem for her Power Paw attack, which Takato knew was the case. With Diamond Storm, he just closed his eyes and the attack bounced off his skin.

Takato didn't even watch, but he knew the outcome. "How...?"

"I know Guilmon's body to the same extent I know my own. He came from my mind, after all. You saw there was no data on him, right? It's because you're accessing the South Quadrant's Core for Digimon Information. I access a Side Core that gives me information from _all_ quadrants. Guilmon's Mega forms, which I do know, are the only ones of his Digivolution path on Any Server. Period. His Rookie, Champion and Ultimate levels were either erased a long time ago, never recorded, or they don't exist. In other words, I know Guilmon better than anyone. I also know Renamon, their tactics, their attacks, their weaknesses, and then some. In other words, with the right information inside of Guilmon's head, should he use it, he'd beat any Renamon easily. And for the record, inside of Guilmon is the Strength of a Low Ultimate level."

Rika's eyes widened. "How did you come across the stats for him?"

"My mind, remember? I'm also the Guardian of the Digital Hazard. It's how I knew about him in the first place. Guilmon's Digivolution line all have the Digital Hazard as part of their Digital Makeup. It's how I know about them." Takato explained.

Needless to say it was a pretty big deal. Rika met up with Takato's Parents, and he made an obvious reference to Renamon, surprising Rika. "They knew about you since I first saw you." was his comment on the matter.

However, it had been an extra week, and Rumiko, Rika's mother, was finally coming home. Takato's parents had been told the dinner had to be rescheduled, so they weren't surprised at the last minute Dinner Date.

Thing is, it was when Kari was coming in.

Another strange thing: When Kari showed up in the Shed, there was 4 others with her.

Tai, Yuuko, Susumu and an Agumon.

Gatomon would've come anyway, so it wasn't a surprise, but the other four _did_ surprise him when he saw it. "Hey Tai, Agumon. Mr. and Mrs. Kamiya." He greeted, before looking at Kari. "Did you tell them what you found out when you left from the Camping trip gone wrong?"

Kari nodded. "I told them, but they don't believe it. You know I found out at that point."

"Yeah, I called him the night before. I had the Digivice, but not the Partner." Takato admitted.

"You mind if I see them?" Tai asked. "I mean, Kari said it was different, just not how." He sent her a look.

Takato brought out his D-Ark. "This is my Digivice. It also allows me to help out with something called Digi-Modify. That's when I use cards from the Trading Card Game to either boost Guilmon's stats, or Digivolve. Still, he only hatched a week ago, so I'm not risking him going Champion yet."

He then realized something. "That reminds me, Tai. How did you convince your parents to let Kari stay here for a week? I never got closure on that."

"She was depressed for two weeks, and mom saw what you did in an hour. If being with you helped her, then I figured it would be worth it." Tai shrugged. "At least that's how I saw it."

Takato blinked. "I figured it would be something glaringly obvious. Looks like I was right."

"Anyway, my family wants to meet yours." Kari put them back on track. "I think it's time the parents met. Shadow-sensei agreed."

Takato blinked. "I actually thought this would happen last week, but okay." He then looked at the others. "You don't mind if I borrow her for dinner this evening, do you? It's a Thank you dinner for helping a friend of ours."

"Wasn't that supposed to happen this past Sunday?"

"Mother got called out the day before, and had to reschedule. She's getting back this morning, in a couple of hours from what I gather," He looked at the clock on his D-Ark. "Yeah, 2 and a half hours. She wants to meet the ones that managed to get her daughter to open up. It's because of us Rika actually gave her mother a chance."

Kari looked at Tai. "Similar situation with Sora." Tai blinked, before nodded. "Then again, this time it was worse." Tai was confused, but shrugged. "Couldn't be that bad, could it?"

Takato hid his grin. "Famous last words, Tai. Page 7." He pulled out a book. "I suggest you read up on them."

"Okay, what the heck, Kari? You said he was just like me." Tai was still confused.

"It's Shadow-sensei's fault. If you were trained by him, you'd have become like this too." Kari smiled at him. "Now come on, Let's go!" The group found Kazu and Kenta, who saw the Agumon.

"Whoa! An Agumon?"

Tai just looked shocked, before looking at Takato. "How...?"

"It's a Card Game here." Takato admitted.

"But last I checked they didn't know about... You know?" Kari trailed off.

"They followed me into one yesterday, and saw me and Guilmon take out 19 Flymon on our own. We took out 10 others before they saw anything." Takato explained. "Didn't even have time to call Shadow about it, because right afterwards, I had to rush home before curfew hit. I was barely a minute late."

Kari's eyes widened. "You mean they aren't..."

Takato shook his head. "No, they aren't."

"You still haven't told us what that Red beam was!" Kazu shouted. Kari just looked at Takato. "Hazard Joust?"

"Hazard Joust. You know I made that for Gallantmon." Takato replied.

Kari shrugged. "I know. I saw you model it after the Lightning Joust."

"I take it Digimon are well known here?"

"They're well known, but seen as fiction mostly." Takato shrugged. "You'll see why when you get to my house. Just tell others that Agumon's a kid in a suit, and they'll believe it. Seriously, I use it with Guilmon all the time. People don't look twice after that."

"Come on! No one in their right mind would believe that!" Susumu retorted.

-10 minutes later-

The Kamiya's, Gatomon, Agumon and Takato just passed a kid and some adults who asked about the Agumon.

Susumu's eye twitched. "I can't believe they bought that."

Takato shrugged. "Ignorance is bliss, but Knowledge is power."

Tai blinked. "Never heard that one before."

Takato shrugged, as he led them to the door on the side. "Hey Mom, Kari's parents wanted to see and talk to you."

Mie blinked, before looking at the family. "Oh, so you're Kari's parents." She noticed Tai. "And you're Tai, I presume?" Tai nodded. "I see you brought Agumon, too."

"You know about them?" Tai asked, surprised.

"Of course. My son has been fighting them off for a few years now, even though he only had a partner for the last week or so." Mie nodded. "After a while I got used to it, but I still make sure he's okay."

Kari nodded. "I let them know about my abilities last week."

"I was wondering when you'd get to that." Mie frowned. "You know you should've told them earlier, Kari."

She nodded. "I know, but this isn't something I can really explain without having to show them. And when I did, I told them about it." She then felt something, and turned her head. "Don't these guys ever give you a break, Takato?" She asked.

Takato was already looking in the direction. "No, they do not. I _really_ hope this doesn't cut into my plans this evening."

"Me too." Kari added. "We'll go take care of it. Can you fill my parents in, Mrs. Matsuki?"

"I'll do my best Kari. Make sure he doesn't come back Hurt. That goes for you too, Gatomon." Mie replied, before the three went out the front door.

Tai blinked. "What was that about?"

"It may be different where you're from, but when Digimon cross over here, usually it means they're out for blood, or just wanting to break things. Collateral Damage tends to happen a lot. Takato prevents it. Kari tends to help him." Mie shrugged. "With her there, he'll make sure everything's fine. If there's one thing I've learned throughout all of this, its that when push comes to shove, he gets the job done. Life gave him lemons, he made Orange juice, and I'm still wondering how he did it."

"But my girl..."

"She'll be fine. She has Gatomon with her."

"Takato's there too. He won't let anything happen to her." Mie added. "I once saw him block 5 Digimon attacks at once, and that is what truly convinced me."

"When was this?" Tai asked, shocked.

"Three years ago, I think. It was a swarm of... I think he called them Honeybeemon. I don't remember, though. I just remember that five of them charged, and they all bounced off of some shield that I couldn't even see. He calls it the Aegis, but it was under a cloak of some kind. He uses it often, but I didn't see anything. They moved, he didn't, they bounced off of something invisible, before five red beams left his fingers, and pierced them all at once. Normally, if he's late, he'll give a vague description of what kept him, as its usually a Digimon or five. Just last night he was home a minute after curfew, but had to take out another swarm of 29 Digimon, so I let it slide. Anything longer than an hour, then I wouldn't have. The other reason is because two of his friends saw it and followed him with questions. I saw them not 10 seconds after he got through the door."

Susumu and Yuuko relented, though Tai was a little put off. "I figure that there's a limit to what comes through?"

"Mid-Champion level, from what I've heard." Mie answered. "There's also some Armor levels, but those are the lower tier."

Tai blinked. "Never heard of those."

"Can't be surprised I guess. They're more common in the North and South Quadrants than the East. At least that's what Takato said. There's also a show with Adventures from the East Quadrant. He blames Shadow for that one."

-Digital field, Shinjuku Park-

Without their family slowing them down, Takato and Kari had just made it to the Digital field as it came up. From it there was a group of 3 Monochromon. "This'll be tough." Kari commented.

"It's simple. One charges for a Volcanic Strike, fire a small blast in the mouth. I know you can do that with a Light ball." Takato countered.

Gatomon got in front, and Guilmon was still on his way. "Okay, Gatomon, you should be able to handle one. I'll get another, and Takato, you get the third."

"I could get rid of all three at once. Won't go unnoticed though." Takato admitted.

Kari sweatdropped. "Just take the left. I'll take the right, and Gatomon has center."

"Volcanic Strike!" All three charged their attacks, but one didn't fire it. Why?

"Pyro Sphere!" An orange ball landed in the mouth of the left side Monochromon, causing it to burst into Data.

Takato made a Silver Shield with Gold trim, and Crimson markings over it. This was Gallantmon's Shield, Aegis. The other two just dispersed the moment they hit.

"Power Paw!" A Renamon came in and hit the one of the Right, deleting it.

"Good thing I caught you here." They heard Rika.

"I get the last one." Kari ran forward.

"Kari!" Takato ran after her, but all present noticed her right hand was flat, and surrounded by a white aura that hummed, before she dodged the horn, and sliced through the Monochromon with the Aura extending through the Monochromon's body, cutting it in half.

Apparently, it was a Light Sword around her hand. Takato blinked. "You finally finished it?"

Kari nodded, as the Field dissipated. "I call it the Light sword. I got the idea from Star Wars."

Takato blinked, and shrugged. "Good to know."

Rika shrugged. "You planning to abuse it?"

"Oh, Maliciously." Kari smirked.

"Bitching. Can I learn?" Takato asked.

"Sure. I'll give you my notes on it later." Kari replied. "So, I heard the Dinner Date was rescheduled."

"Yeah, mom's on her way home now." Rika answered. "You're welcome to come too, if you want."

"Her parents and Brother are at my place." Takato pointed out. "Wanna meet the folks?"

Rika shrugged. "Why not? But we're heading to my place afterwards. My mom still wants to meet you Takato."

Takato nodded. "I know." Gatomon walked beside Kari on all fours, Guilmon was beside Takato, and Renamon was jumping from one roof to another above them.

She still couldn't avoid Takato's senses, though.

When they got there, they went in through the front door, and went towards the living room. Agumon was the first to notice them. "Tai, they're back." Tai looked at the two Tamers, Kari, and the three Digimon. "Who's she?" Agumon pointed at Rika.

"Rika Nonaka. She's a friend of ours, along with the First Tamer in the South." Takato answered.

"I'm Taichi Kamiya, but people call me Tai. Agumon's my partner, and I'm the Digidestined of Courage."

Rika looked at Takato. "Copier of the Show?"

"Nope. First met him _before_ the show began. Plus they still haven't gotten to the Real World yet to face off with Myotismon." Takato retorted.

"Just like I was the Digidestined of Light, and haven't shown up yet."

"About that. It's right before we got to Server. Although they got TK's reaction to Angemon right. Seriously, that was a little _too_ spot on."

"About that... Shadow-sensei told me he took Memory Data from your Digivices after the link was reestablished. Only recently did the Show come out there. As to why, I dunno. Even yours, Tai." Takato pointed out. "Kari and I get paid for helping make the series, although Shadow gets the money. He just gives it to us in Cash."

"How much do you get per showing?" Tai asked, curious.

"About 5000 USD for Japan Alone, and this is per episode. Shadow-sensei doesn't need it, because he stays in the Dark Ocean." Takato shrugged. "I've got a Bank Account where the funds are transferred, and I can Access it anytime I want."

Kari nodded. "I do too, but I have two. One for this world, one for ours, Tai. Half of my share goes to the account in this world, and half goes to the other one. Shadow somehow got it so the Card would work with both accounts, in both worlds."

"Where is this card, Kari?" Yuuko asked, from the stairs.

Kari just pulled a card out of her Deck Box, which was on her left thigh. It was a Digimon Card back Debit Card. "Right here. Seriously, I disguise it as one of my Trading Cards, because it works."

Yuuko blinked, before nodded. "I see. Pretty ingenious hiding spot."

Tai looked at Guilmon. "I take it this is Guilmon?"

Takato nodded. "Yeah. You could easily relate him to Agumon, though."

"How so?"

"The easiest way to describe Guilmon is an Overpowered, Virus Attribute Agumon. The last Guilmon was seen in the West Quadrant, some 700 Digiyears ago." Takato explained.

"Huh. What about his Champion, Ultimate and Mega forms?"

"He can't reach them yet, but they're still similar. Growlmon, the Champion form, is also similar to Greymon, with his Pyro Blaster being similar in nature to Nova Blast, but he doesn't have the Skull Cap that all Greymon have. Even SkullGreymon has one, though you don't exactly notice it."

"I definitely didn't see it." Tai admitted. "So, what about his Ultimate form?"

"Highly similar to MetalGreymon, in that he's a Cyborg Type, with a Metal chest and arms. He's called WarGrowlmon. Major difference between the two is the ranged Attack. While MetalGreymon has the Giga Blaster, which is a pair of Organic Missiles, Wargrowlmon has two Red beams firing from the chest piece. Oh, and on his his back there's a Metal Jetpack."

"Huh. I guess that makes sense. You know his Mega form?"

"He has two, both of which are still known to this day, and I _know_ Gennai knows of them both. Both have _never_ appeared in the East Quadrant, but I'm positive Gennai would know of them."

"How are you so sure?"

"One is a Royal Knight Digimon, known as Gallantmon, though sometimes he calls himself Dukemon. The other is one of the Four Great Dragons: Megidramon. Both of them carry the Digital hazard, though Gallantmon only uses a few aspects of it. Dukemon is when a Gallantmon doesn't have the Digital Hazard. Gallantmon does, but they are essentially the same being. Megidramon is the living embodiment of the Hazard, and it's _my_ job to guard it. That's why the only Guilmon in existence at the moment is my partner... aside from the fact of all the Irony it would cause if my status as Guardian of the Hazard is released."

"Megidramon sounds dangerous." Yuuko pointed out. "Why did you mention him?"

Takato sighed. "Megidramon is just as much a part of Guilmon's Digivolution line as Gallantmon is. Megidramon may be more dangerous, but, if controlled, he could be the most powerful Digimon there ever was. He is far from Holy, like Magnadramon, Golddramon, and Azulongmon, but he has enough power to crush the other three under his wing, and that's when he's not in control of himself. If he can control himself and his abilities, he could level all of Tokyo in under a minute. Gallantmon is the Second Strongest of the Royal Knights because of the Hazard, but is also the most understanding for the same reason. He just barely falls short of Omnimon, but in one on one combat, the two are dead even, when experience and ingenuity is not a factor."

Tai blinked. "So, Omnimon would probably beat Gallantmon, if he's older?"

Takato nodded. "That would be the gist of it, yeah. It'll depend on who can be more unpredictable, not who's stronger. More often than not, it's Omnimon because he outlasts Gallantmon."

Tai shrugged. "I get it... I think. But I've seen Omnimon in action. If Gallantmon can match him, then he'd be really powerful."

Takato nodded. "He is, but Megidramon could wipe out 12 of the 13 Royal Knight Digimon. He actually did it just to prove he could. The original Megidramon, however, had one major problem when the other Great Dragons struck. Golddramon and Azulongmon, he was okay with fighting and even deleting. The problem he had was one Digimon. The one Digimon he couldn't even force himself to fight, much less delete. That one Digimon took a strike for Azulongmon, which is why he's still around to this day."

Kari looked at him confused. "You never told me that part."

Takato blinked. "I thought you knew. I get memories from the past users of the Digital Hazard, Megidramon and Gallantmon included. Didn't you get any memories from, I don't know, Magnadramon or Ophanimon?"

She shook her head. "I haven't. You think it could be..." She gripped her head in pain, as visions flashed through her Mind's Eye. Takato was right there. "Kari!"

She passed out, and Takato closed his eyes, before searching into her heart. That's when he realized it. "She'll be fine." He sighed in relief. "Apparently, I knew about it because I was actually looking for the memories. She never did, and now that she tried, they're coming full force. She'll have a headache for a while, but it'll go away after a while. Kami knows it happened to me."

"How long?" Mie asked.

"Uh, for me it was about 5 minutes." Takato admitted. "But she's going through more than 50 times the amount I did, so I don't know exactly how long it'll take."

It was a good hour before Kari woke up with a groan. "What happened?" She asked, before realizing she was in Takato's bed.

Takato opened the door. "You okay Kari?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Major Headache though."

"It'll go away. So, what did you find out?"

Kari just looked at him. "I found out why Magnadramon took that hit. Not to mention what she said to Megidramon when she did."

Takato sighed. "I guess that would definitely explain why I fell for you, huh?"

"Not to mention why I feel like I have to keep you sane." Kari added. "I don't want you to be like that. I don't want you to lose it like he did." She continued with a sad voice.

He hugged her. "Don't worry, Kari. I promised myself I'd never let myself fall into that state the moment I saw it. Now I'm promising you. If I ever get into that state, I'll use whatever control I have left to kill myself, so it doesn't happen again."

"But Takato..."

"If killing myself means your Safety then I'll do it without hesitation. There is no way in Heaven or Hell that I'll _ever_ hurt you if I can help it. Even if my soul shall shatter, I will protect you until the end. Even from myself." He cut her off. "I swear it, on my position as Guardian of the Hazard."

Mie and Yuuko heard this, as did Agumon who was listening from the open window.

"But if you die..."

"Kari, listen to me." He caught her eyes in a trance. "If I hurt you, then I'd do worse to myself than I would killing myself. Take it from my side for a second. If it came down to hurting and possibly killing someone close to your heart or killing yourself, which would you choose? Be honest with yourself. Would you let yourself kill your friends and family, or would you kill yourself so they can live on?"

Kari stopped seeing his eyes, and she knew. He didn't want either one to happen. If it meant she would live, he'd gladly give his life. "Takato..."

"Please..." He started sobbing.

"I know." She echoed his sentiments. He was right.

She'd definitely choose the same option he said he would.

Mie and Yuuko looked at each other, before leaving them to their devices, and heading downstairs, seeing their husbands.

"Kari's awake, right?" Susumu questioned.

"She is, but I don't think it wise to disturb them." Mie answered, her tone subdued.

"What did he do?" Susumu was not in a good mood.

"Susumu sit down, and shut up." Yuuko had nearly snapped at him, and he followed suit quickly.

A little recap: Yuuko Kamiya is a calm and patient person. Very rarely is she disappointed, or even angry. However, it is _extremely_ rare for her to Snap at _anyone._ Even at a Rapist, for that matter.

For that very reason, Susumu Kamiya listened to his wife in pure silence. Yuuko then explained what she and Mie just heard from them both. Takehiro and Susumu were surprised, but both stayed silent.

Tai walked in and saw the silence. "What happened?" He asked.

"Major revelation, and I didn't even know it." Mie started.

"Does it have anything to do with Kari and Takato?" They all nodded. "How bad is it that dad goes silent?"

Yuuko looked at Tai. "Taichi, if you were forced to choose between killing yourself or your family and friends in an out of control frenzy, what would you choose?"

Tai blinked at that, before realizing exactly what his mother meant. His eyes widened when he did. "Which one brought it up?"

"Takato..."

Tai paused. "He said he'd kill himself before he could, didn't he?" Mie nodded, sad at the way he said it so carelessly. "Huh. Looks like Kari was right. He and I _are_ alike in a lot of ways. I did it with Etamon back during Camp, after all."

Mie blinked at him. "What are you talking about?"

"It was the first time Agumon reached his Ultimate level, MetalGreymon." Tai the explained what happened. How he ended up in the East Quadrant's Real World, how he got back home with Koromon, and how he got back to the Digital to find his friends. "Yeah, I didn't know I was gonna live, but I didn't care because I knew that Etamon wouldn't be able to harm my friends. It's one of the reasons I was given the Crest of Courage."

"Do you know how stupid that was?!" Susumu questioned, fully surprised.

The only thing that could be even more surprising was if... "Yes, dad. I did." That would do it. "And I didn't really care that much. Had I known what Etamon would do, I wouldn't change a thing. I'd still have done the same thing, and I'd still go back to make sure my friends were okay, and make sure that they stayed that way. For all I knew, the Vortex would've killed us both. If I could take out the major threat to my friends, like I did, then I'd do it all over again."

Susumu opened his mouth, but closed it. He couldn't form an actual retort to that.

Mie blinked. "You think you can talk to them?"

"No need." They all turned to Agumon, who was in the door. "They fell asleep on the bottom bunk."

Rika came into the room. "Kari up yet?" Mie explained the situation. "Huh. Dinner's at 6:30. My mom still wants to meet them." She then looked at the others, meaning the Kamiya's. "She also wants to see the families of the two. Meaning, you guys come as well. They don't know about Digimon, so it would be a good idea to hide them."

Tai then realized something. "Where's Guilmon?"

"Probably back in hiding." Rika shrugged. "Really, things happen with Takato and Guilmon I'll never understand. Best not to question it if you value your sanity."

Tai just sent her a deadpanned look. "Uh... I think I lost my Sanity back on my first trip through Server."

Rika blinked. "Well, good luck with that then. I, for one, am not going to ask. I need whatever Sanity I have left. I'd say wake them up about 5:30, it takes a good 45 minutes to walk there from here at a normal pace, even though he could make the trip in about 5 minutes on his own."

"He can teleport you know?" Takehiro pointed out.

"Teleport?" Mie asked, surprised. "Since when?"

"He told us when he was 10, remember?" Takehiro answered.

"No, I don't. You think he can take all of us?" Mie asked.

"We can definitely ask." Yuuko pointed out.

When they woke up on their own, they found themselves in each others arms, both of them realizing the other had cried themselves to sleep. Gatomon was sitting on the railing of the Top Bunk. "Finally awake, I see." They both looked up and saw the Digital Cat. "You've been out of it since this morning. It's almost 5:00."

They looked at each other, and then the clock. It was 4:57 PM. "Gatomon, did anyone come in?" Kari asked, still slightly tired.

"Only that Renamon. She left the moment she saw Takato asleep, though." Gatomon shrugged. "Aside from that no one else came in here. Tai stopped at the door, and Takato's mom looked in, but nothing else."

"Did any of them have a camera?" Takato asked, now fully awake.

"Didn't see one." Gatomon asked. The two realized they were still holding each other and let go, before getting up. "Kari, you want to take a shower first? I'll have things ready for you when you get out."

She nodded, and got up, while Takato went into a Suitcase hidden in his closet, and pulled out a few clothes, before laying them out, and inspecting them. Gatomon looked at him, and he nodded. "Should be okay." He folded them up and put them in a neat pile before heading to the bathroom with all of them, and knocked on the door. "Kari, I got them."

"Just leave them in the room. I'll be fine."

Tai was walking up to them, but heard this. "This isn't like the times in the Dark Ocean, Kari. For one, your family is here."

"And?"

"Second reason is the fact that we have to use a lake that was tainted with Darkness, and had no walls around it. I may have seen you with no clothes, but that's because no one else would've been able to see it, and you trust me. Now, this is different, because not only could your parents find out, but if Tai did it would probably be worse off for us both."

"Alright fine, I'm behind the curtain. Just put them on the counter." Kari said, as he opened the door slightly and put them on the counter before closing it again. "I'm just glad I leave a suitcase of clothing here just in case something happens and I can't go back."

"So am I Kari. Also, I'm not surprised my parents haven't found it, either. I mean, I have the suitcase hidden under an Illusion that only you and I can see through." Takato replied. "Anyway, I'll tell our parent's what's going on, so they know. That and figure out when the dinner with Rika's family is. I'll be waiting downstairs. Let me know when you're done?"

"Sure thing." He heard the water turn on, and he walked off, only to spot Tai nearby, with his arms crossed.

"You heard that, didn't you?" Takato asked, though it wasn't much of a question. Tai still nodded. "I keep them to make sure that she has something to change into if she needs it. It happens sometimes... there was also one time half her shirt got destroyed by a stray Digimon attack. She used an Illusion until she could change. I believe you probably would've noticed that a few months ago."

Tai was about to respond when he actually thought about it. His friends wouldn't have believed it was him if they saw it, but still... "Now that you mention it that does make a little sense. I hardly even noticed. And the Ocean?" Tai was giving Takato a chance to explain. Anyone else, he wouldn't even bother, but Takato was another story.

Tai knew that there was a reason, and he wanted to know what it was.

Takato sighed. "Sometimes, when we were younger and played around we got a little dirty. Mud, dirt clumps, leaves, the works. We didn't want our parents to know at the time, so we had to clean up somehow. The Lake was the only source of water for miles around, aside from an endless Ocean. There were no walls around it, a forest only on one side, and only one building in a 10 mile radius. In fact, I've only seen a total of 2 buildings there: a Cabin and a Lighthouse that lets out a Black beam of light. Not much that we could've done at the time... Still can't, actually. We could build a wall, but it would take the three of us 4 or 5 months straight as we are now. How much do you think we could've done when we were only 7? We've pretty much gotten used to it. I still show her the decency I have to, but for the most part, as you probably heard, she's fine with it."

Tai sighed. "My parents will freak when they find out."

"I won't tell if you don't." Takato offered.

Tai nodded in agreement. "You won't tell who, what?" He winked at Takato, who returned it.

They went downstairs, and saw the Kamiya's on the couch with his parents. "Finally awake, Takato?" Mie teased.

"Yeah, we are."

"Where is Kari, then?" Yuuko asked.

"Taking a shower. We're meeting with a Famous Model. She'll need to clean up, as will I. After she comes down, I'll be going to take one too." Takato shrugged.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Susumu raised an eyebrow.

The tamer took a thoughtful pose. "No, I don't think so."

"Clothes?" Yuuko questioned.

"Taken care of."

"Soap?" Susumu added.

"There."

"Towel?" Tai asked, just realizing it.

"In the bathroom."

"How did you prepare this quickly?" Yuuko asked, impressed.

"Oh, we have things in place as a 'Just in case' kind of thing. Clothing, Hygiene, the works." Mie pointed out. "I make sure the clothing fits, but afterwards I never see them. Takato can hide them pretty well if his father and I can't find it."

"Kari and I are the only ones that know where her clothing is put, which she also uses when she wants to sleep over." Takato added. "Really, we make sure things are prepared in case she has to stay for longer than anticipated. Besides, with what we do, normal clothing can be shredded, so she needs a back-up set of clothes." He shrugged. "Really, we prepared for any event and have the proper response for each possible situation."

Yuuko and Susumu blinked, before looking at each other and shrugging. "That's good to know." Yuuko replied.

Takato smiled. "Anyway, I'm waiting down here until she's done and comes down. It's better that way." _'Took a bit of convincing but I did it.'_ He added as an after thought.

"So, is it Casual, Semi-formal, or what?" Mie asked.

"Knowing Rika, she'd go Casual, but I'd go Semi-formal just to be on the safe side." Takato shrugged.

Mie blinked but nodded all the same. "Just checking."

Takato nodded. "I know."

Yuuko looked at Mie. "So, what do the clothes look like?"

"Most of them are a lighter pink, or a Yellow-Orange with stripes. She also has a jacket in the closet for the winter, or rainy days."

"The Jacket was my idea." Takato got up and walked to a closet and pulled out a Bright Orange Jacket with the Kanji for "Child of Light" on the back, and another script over the heart that said "Shadow" in Digitext.

Tai looked at the front. "I'm not familiar with the writing in the Digital World. What does that say?"

"It says "Shadow" in Digitext. It's an Ancient Dialect not used in a good 500 Digiyears. We learned it from Shadow-sensei. I sometimes lapse into it while taking notes in school. Kari and I can translate any Dialect used in the last thousand or so Digiyears."

"Izzy could probably do that in a few hours, depending on the length." Tai pointed out.

"Uh, Tai? We could read an entire book in any of those languages without having to write out any translation. We've pretty much gotten each one to the point that we can translate them mentally on the spot." Takato explained. "We use them for notes to compare, ideas and what's been going on in our own worlds." He left ear twitched as he heard the running water stop. "Even school notes, sometimes. That

reminds me, I still gotta get the notes on the Light Sword she came up with."

Mie raised an eyebrow. "Explain."

"Her arm is covered in a Blade made of Light Energy, from what I can tell. I need to know how she stabilized it, though." Takato continued.

"Okay, so you said you tend to use it in school?" Tai changed the subject.

Takato nodded. "Yeah, I do it instinctively sometimes." He pulled out a notepad. "These are the notes I made on Guilmon's multiple forms, from Fresh to Mega and beyond. They're all written in Digitext, but this one was done on purpose. My Teacher, Ms. Asaji, once caught me working on them, and asked what I was doing. I just said that they were Ancient Runes of some sort and I write in them sometimes out of Pure Instinct. I showed her other notes that went from Kanji to Digitext mid-sentence. She bought it, and didn't comment on it."

"What was the lesson?" Mie questioned.

Takato went through the notepad, and found it. "Right here. It was a History lesson." He showed them, and they saw where it cut off. None of them could tell what it said after it switched up. "See what I mean? I lapse into it out of pure instinct. My excuse is they're Ancient Runes. Dunno what Kari uses if she's caught, but it's probably something similar."

Just then Kari came into the room wearing a Light green T-shirt with Lavender sleeves, and a Light Pink skirt. Around her neck was a Replica of the Crest of Light inside the Tag. "Shower's open." She noticed the jacket. "Showing off my Customized Jacket?"

"They wanted to see some of your clothing." Takato shrugged. "I figured this would be okay. Anyway, I'm gonna take my shower."

Takato took a total of 15 minutes, in which is was 5:24 when he got out, and got dressed in Tan shorts, and a Red Polo Shirt with a Hazard Symbol on the back in black, and the Crest of Light over his heart in a light purple. "What do you think?" He asked, showing it off.

Kari looked at the attire and noticed how it fit him, but she was looking at how it was supposed to work out for him. After about 30 seconds of Checking him out, she nodded. "Nice." She sent him a smile. "I like it. It suits you."

He returned the smile. "Thanks. My symbol is on the back, and the Crest of Light is over my Heart, to show who took it from me, and who would have it until the end of time. It's so I never forget."

She nodded. "Alright, should we get going?"

"We don't have a car." Yuuko pointed out.

"The Van won't fit all of us, either." Takehiro pointed out.

"Did you forget I can teleport?"

"I've been meaning to ask you about that. How many can you take with you at a time?" Mie asked.

"On my own, five maybe six. With Kari here, I could take us all at once, if she's willing to help, that is?" He looked at her, and she nodded. "Then I could get us there in an instant. You just need direct contact with me or her."

Everyone looked at the two impressed. "How can she do it?"

"It's an ability Natural to Light. It requires me to bend the light around me and turn myself into Light before moving to the spot that I envision in my head. The only real limits I have is I have to either know the destination well, or I can see the target point."

"As for me the limits are the same, however, the Hazard pretty much makes it an extremely fast travel to a place I have in my mind. Whereas Kari can get to the Statue of Liberty in America in nearly an instant, it would take me a good 5 seconds to make the same distance. It's all in the method." Takato explained. "To the other side of the city, that's nothing, and it can be done easily. Besides, if we use her method, I can lend her my power to keep it steady. The same if we use my method. We pool our powers together, and we can essentially go into the Digital World, regardless of never being in the South Quadrant Digital World even once."

Tai was surprised. The amount of energy needed for traveling to the Digital World was just insane. "Have you tested out that theory?" He asked, shock evident in his voice and face.

He pretty much didn't believe it.

Takato raised an eyebrow. "On my own I could power Tokyo for an entire week. Kari can probably do it for another 5 or 6 days. Pooling our powers together would be definitely be enough."

The parents, Digimon and Tai went slackjawed at that. That amount of power inside of them was just... Tai gulped. "And... you can make Gatomon Digivolve now, right?"

Kari nodded. "Yeah, to Ophanimon and Magnadramon."

Takato then thought about something. "Tai, you mind if I see your Digivice? I want to figure something out before we get going."

"Huh? Sure, I guess." Takato sat down as he was handed the Digivice, and then closed his eyes, before searching through the programming in it. _'Hmm... Okay, so Ultimate is still possible, but not Mega... the door to Ultimate seems to be closing, though. Soon enough it'll stop at Champion. Then there's the DNA Digivolution he used with Matt against Diaboromon. That's already out. Okay, I can fix this. Easily.'_ His eyes opened and handed Tai his Digivice back. "You've lost access to Wargreymon and MetalGreymon is soon to follow."

"Huh? How did you know that?"

"I just checked your Digivice. Of _course_ I saw the levels Agumon could reach. You're letting yourself stagnate. Kari, do you mind?"

She nodded and handed over her Digivice, causing him to do the same. _'Mega, multiple forms... Just as I thought.'_ "Thank you, Kari." He handed it back. "Major benefit of the Hazard is that I can check pretty much any Electronic Device for bugs, Viruses, data, and even what a Digivice can do. Even then, I can tweak the Digivice to my liking if I so wish. I need direct contact to make any changes, but what I did was check how far that Digivice will allow you to go. Tai, yours can handle Ultimate, but barely. I'd say a month, maybe less until it cuts itself off. Kari, on the other hand, has completely open doors to Ultimate, and both Mega forms. Her heart is still strong, as are her abilities. It's where they came from in the first place. It could be the lack of a Crest, but then if that were the case then Kari's would also diminish, and they haven't."

"Any chance you could open them?" Tai asked.

Takato thought about, and shrugged. "Dunno. Never tried, and never had to." He then looked into Tai's eyes. "It won't be easy, though. That much I can guarantee."

"Well, I think we should get going." Takehiro said, looking at a clock. "It's already after 6." It was true. The clock said 6:08 PM.

Takato put his hand out, and Kari put hers on top of his. "Put your hand on me, or Kari. When everyone's connected, we'll head out." Gatomon landed on Kari's head, while her parents got her shoulders, Yuuko on the right, Susumu on the left. Mie has Takato's left shoulder, while Takehiro had his left.

Tai put his hand on their hands, Agumon's claw touching Takato's left leg. All of them glowed, and in a Pink flash, they all disappeared.

They showed up in an Alley right outside of Rika's house.

Takato stared at Agumon. "Why?"

"Tai's coming, so why can't I?"

"Just stay in the bushes." Gatomon pointed out. "I'll protect Tai if something happens. Kari can handle herself against my own Mega form. Nothing that can cross over could possibly put her life in danger unless she does something much more stupid than Tai can be."

"Hey!" Tai was not amused.

"Gatomon..." Kari deadpanned.

"Momentai!" She grinned.

Takato and Kari palmed their faces. "Of all the things to pick up from Terriermon..." Takato mumbled.

Kari sighed. "Alright, let's just get going." They all walked towards the front Gate, with Takato in the lead. "I've been here a few times, so I know where it is."

Takato rang the bell. _Hello?_ A voice came over an intercom. "It's Takato, and my family, Hata-san."

_Oh, Takato. I was wondering when you'd get here. Rika also told me about the others coming. Kari, I think she called her._

"They're here too." Takato said.

The gate opened. _Please, come on in, all of you._

They all entered, and most marveled at the place. "Nice place." Tai commented.

"Thank you." An older woman stated. "My name is Seiko Hata. I'm Rika's grandmother. Rika and her mother are in the backyard, Takato." She looked at Kari. "I believe you are Kari, yes?"

Kari nodded. "That's right, why do you ask?"

"Oh, Rika speaks highly of you both. It's quite the accomplishment, or at least it was." Seiko answered.

Kari smiled a bit. "Thank you, Hata-san." She bowed her head slightly.

"Oh, don't worry about it. It's Rika you have to thank." Seiko smiled at her. "So, Mr. and Mrs. Matsuki. I'm sorry I wasn't able to come by this morning. Your bread is one of the best in city."

"It's alright, Hata-san." Mie waved her off. "It's not like one regular not coming will hurt us."

"Polite as always. It is no wonder why your son is." Seiko sent a look at Takato, before seeing the cat in Kari's arms. "My, that's a cute cat."

"Meow." Gatomon replied. Kari hid her chuckle. It was a routine that the two had practiced. A domesticated cat act. Tai was surprised, and it showed.

"Tai, close your mouth. We're not here to gawk." Takato told him, causing him to listen.

"Sorry." He held out his hand. "Taichi Kamiya, but people just call me Tai." Seiko shook it.

"A pleasure to meet you, Tai." She looked at the parents.

Yuuko held out a hand and introduced herself as Kari's mother. Susumu did the same, only as the father.

"I'm Hikari Kamiya. Rika's friend, Takato's Girlfriend, and known to some as the Child of Light." Tai was surprised she'd admit it, but Seiko's nod just confused him.

"Ah, yes. One of the few in Rika's Card game that can match her, or even win." Seiko replied. "But did you say Takato's Girlfriend?"

Kari nodded. "It means don't try to get them together. He's already taken, and she knows it."

Seiko looked at little put off by that, but nodded all the same. "Alright, I won't... if you can prove it."

Takato raised an eyebrow, before the two looked at each other, and kissed each other. Susumu was appalled he'd do that and was about to stop them before he caught Gatomon glaring at him. He got the message. _'Don't interrupt.'_

He settled for watching with a glare. When they pulled apart, they just looked at each other. "Still as good as the first?" She asked.

"It always gets better, Kar." He replied softly. Seiko smiled at this. "Alright, I'll leave him alone. One question."

"It's been hidden for about 2 years now." Takato replied, causing Yuuko to giggle. "A couple of my friends think its possible, but I neither confirm nor deny it."

Rika came up to them. "Takato, Kari, my mother really wants to meet you two." She looked at Gatomon. "Gato, why don't you stay with Tai. Something happens, she'll be fine."

Seiko was confused, but saw that Gatomon understood, and jumped down before getting on Tai's head. "Meow."

Kari smiled at Gatomon, before the two kids walked around the house with Rika. "Mom doesn't know about Renamon, or Digimon in general. She'd worry too much. I didn't see Agumon, though. Where is he?" Rika ended up asking.

"In the bushes, probably." Takato shrugged. "So, where's your mom?"

"I'm right here." A much more feminine, and older voice spoke up. Takato just stared at the Blonde haired model.

Kari noticed and got a tick on her forehead. Takato may not have noticed but he just said three words. "Kari, hit me." She blinked, before smacking him on the head. "Thank you."

The woman blinked. "Sorry, but... I was shocked. Best way to do that is to either be hit, or a threat to my life is in the area." Takato explained.

"Oh, I'm sorry. But why her?" The older woman asked.

"Because she's my girlfriend, meaning no match making between me and Rika." Takato answered.

She pouted. "Oh, alright. My name is Rumiko, and, if you hadn't guessed I'm Rika's mother."

Takato held out a hand. "Takato Matsuki." She gripped it and smiled seeing he was polite.

"You seem to be a gentleman." She commented.

"I try." Takato admitted. "I tend to fall under a Dragon Knight, though."

Kari held out her hand. "Hikari Kamiya, though people call me Kari."

Rumiko shook her hand, with a smile. "Sorry about your boyfriend. It just happens so often I'm pretty much used to it."

"Well, at least he knows when I have a right to hit him. Normally, he's too loyal." Kari commented.

"I have that effect on men, but not so much on boys." Rumiko admitted. "I would assume it comes from being a model, but I digress. I wanted to thank you for helping Rika and I bond, even if it was only indirectly." She bowed her head.

Takato shook his head. "You don't need to thank us. I'm still trying to get another friend of mine to get along with her Stepmother."

"I have another friend who went through the same thing so some actual advice would help. I asked her for advice afterwards, and she pretty much said the same thing Takato did. Similar ideas, too." Kari admitted.

"It sounds like she fixed her own problems without help." Rumiko commented.

"She did, but it took putting herself in her mother's place unknowingly to do it." Kari admitted. She didn't understand how, because Sora never explained what happened, just that she had basically reversed the situation except Biyomon was in her place, while she was in her mother's.

Really, whatever Biyomon said really hit home.

Rumiko nodded. That often did the trick, too. The four of them talked for some time, when Seiko came out towards them and told them dinner was ready.

As they ate dinner, there was little more than laughter, giggles and watching Takato, Tai and Kari pig out.

As they finished, Takato loaded up another plate before looking out the window, and throwing it like a Frisbee, surprising everyone. "A friend of mine can't be seen because he doesn't exactly look... well, human. Seriously, his ears look like bat wings, or something. That was for him." Takato explained, before anyone could say anything.

"You're going to have to go get that, you know that, right?" Seiko sent him a frown.

After about 10 seconds, the plate came back in through a window, instead of the door. Takato caught it without looking. "I do it quite often, actually. Kazu and Kenta's parents know of him, but I never tell them his name, mainly to keep his trust. They've only seen him once, and agree. Most people would freak out if they saw him. Rika and Kari also know him by his nickname: Guil."

Kari and Rika then understood. That was for Guilmon.

"He eats fast, I'll admit." Rika said. It was the first time she'd seen him eat, or at least been able to time it.

Takato nodded. "He'll also eat just about anything... I once caught him trying to eat concrete. Didn't really work that well."

Rika sweatdropped. _'Seriously? I thought that, with all the power he had, he'd at least be smarter in using it.'_

Seiko was in thought, however. _'This friend seems a little... stupid. Takato is definitely a good friend though. He's making sure his friend isn't hated because of his looks. He's not such a youngster after all.'_

Rumiko thought along different lines. _'If only he wasn't taken. Maybe he could find out what Rika is still hiding from me.'_

Just then, there were four beeping noises in the room. Rika and Tai noticed the sound and recognized it immediately. It was the sound of a Digivice going off.

Rika knew what it meant: A Digimon was emerging.

Kari and Takato ignored the beeping, however. They were more concerned with the position of the Digimon. "Not good." Takato pointed out.

Mie frowned. "Can't it wait, Takato? I mean, I think I know what it means but..."

"No, it can't. If it does, the house will be destroyed." Takato cut her off, stopping her, and causing her to grimace. That definitely _wasn't_ good. "Kari?"

"Right. Gatomon?" She continued.

"You got it!" The white cat replied running out the door. Kari looked at Takato, and they both nodded.

"Don't leave me out of this!" Tai got up and ran out, Agumon popped out of the bushes and ran next to him.

Guilmon showed up next to Takato out of nowhere.

Rika just followed suit, a Yellow Bi-pedal Fox appearing right beside her as they made it to the backyard. A fog rolled in, and they all were covered in it, including the parents.

One look at Takato made Rumiko and Seiko realize he'd been through all of this before. Same with Rika, Tai, and Kari. Tai may not have much recognition for the fog, but he knew something was up.

However, the way the two dinos, the fox and the cat stood made it look like they were waiting for a fight.

That worried Rumiko. "Rika!" Mie stopped her from running ahead.

"Don't. They can handle it."

"But my baby is..."

"She's right, Rumiko. I'd like to see Rika's skill myself." Takehiro told her, before looking at the kids in front of them. "Look at them. They know what they have to do. You can tell by how they're acting."

"But what about Tai and Kari?" Susumu questioned.

"Kari can handle it." Mie answered. "If it were just Takato and Kari the two of them alone would be able to handle whatever can come through."

"My mom is right." Takato said. "Kari and I could handle this without Gatomon or Guilmon. Guilmon is the Red Raptor. He's also the one I called Guil earlier." His voice was serious, but confident. "Rika, how many Champions can you handle at once?"

"Renamon can probably handle 3 or 4. It depends on the Champion."

Takato's eyes narrowed. "Judging by the sound, I'd say there's at least 20 Dokugumon."

"That can't be right. I'm picking up about 50." Kari retorted, before closing her eyes. "Scratch that, 60! 41 Rookie and 19 Champion!"

Takato's eyes widened, as did Mie's. "Takato!"

"Is that bad?" Seiko asked, worried.

"Normally, it would be." Rika answered her grandmother.

"Tai, toss me your Digivice." Takato said seriously, causing Tai to do just that, and he caught it without looking, and closed his eyes, before looking into it.

_'Okay, there's the Ultimate Door. If Agumon goes Ultimate right now, it'll be partially unstable... Okay, done.'_ He tossed it back to Tai who caught it.

"What did you do to it?" Tai asked.

"Fully opened the door to Ultimate. Trust me, you'll need it." Takato answered. "Rika, we'll need Kyuubimon. Kari, Angewomon."

"What about you?" Kari asked.

"Guilmon doesn't have the experience for Champion, yet."

"You sure?"

Takato nodded, "However, that doesn't mean I'm leaving him to the wolves. Guilmon, I'm going to give you a certain boost. Try not to lose control." Takato pulled out a Card. He wasn't expecting this, but glad he prepared. He took out his D-ark, and scanned a Card. "Digimodify, Viral Bug Spray Activate!"

Guilmon felt the boost. "Kari, time to Morph."

"What about our Parents?" Kari asked, surprised.

"Kari, they'll find out sooner or later." Angewomon pointed out. "Perhaps you should."

"I'm with Angewomon. It'll also help your Defense. Not to mention you're more Durable like that." Takato commented.

"..." Kari was silent for a moment. "Fine. But you owe me a good spar for this."

"Wouldn't have it any other way." Takato replied, causing confusion to appear on _all_ spectator's eyes.

That was nothing compared to what came out of the white glow that surrounded both Takato and Kari. When the glows receded, there was a Large Knight in Shining Armor and an Angel in armor with 8 golden wings emanating from her back. The Knight had a large Round shield with Gold Trim, and a long lance.

Tai knew one of them. It was Ophanimon.

The Knight, however, was unknown to him. "Yo! Knight, who are you?" Tai called out.

"I am Gallantmon. I am known as the Hazard Knight, and the second most powerful of the Royal Knights. Also, I'm only half surprised that you didn't ask about Ophanimon... Or your sister and her boyfriend." Gallantmon replied.

"Ophanimon I've seen be...fore..." Tai then realized that Angewomon was still out. "The heck is going on here?!"

"Tai, what is going on?" Yuuko asked.

"Tai, Digivolve Agumon to ultimate, and do it fast. We'll explain later. Dad, if you heard what Takato told Kari, then you'll understand what happened." Gallantmon said.

Takehiro didn't understand, but considered Gallantmon's words. _'Takato said it's time to Morph, but what...'_ Takehiro's eyes widened.

"Lightning Joust!" Lightning encircled Gallantmon's lance and went out, causing a pained screech.

Yuuko looked at Susumu, while Mie looked at Takehiro. "Honey?"

"Takato is Gallantmon and Kari is Ophanimon." Takehiro said.

Seiko looked at him like he was crazy. "What do you mean? And what about Rika?"

Rumiko was watching Rika as the fox with Nine tails was charging into the fray against the small spiders. She couldn't form any words. She saw the fox form fireballs from the tails, which spread towards the Kodokugumon.

MetalGreymon fired Organic Missiles towards the larger spiders, or Dokugumon, causing them to turn into red glowing specks.

Angewomon sent a few arrows at the Dokugumon, and Kodokugumon deleting them as they are hit.

Ophanimon charged in with her spear using her shield to block the Spider webs coming at her, or just flat out dodging them. Gallantmon dodged the webs, and cut through them with his lance, shield bashing a few that get too close.

Gallantmon and Ophanimon were working in complete tandem with each other. Mie and Yuuko watched the two after Takehiro's declaration as to who those two really were, along with the explanation as to what Takato said.

The word "Morph" was a dead give away.

Guilmon just fired a few Pyro Spheres out at the Kodokugumon, though one stray ball hit a Dokugumon, and sent it into pain.

Guilmon then saw a Kodokugumon trying to sneak up on Angewomon and fired a Pyro sphere towards it, Angewomon having to move out of the way to avoid getting hit. "Guilmon wha..." She stopped hearing the cry of pain, and sure sound of a Digimon being Deleted. "Oh. Warn me next time!" She called out.

"Okie-dokey!" Guilmon replied.

It was a battle that took a good 30 minutes, before the entire area was filled with Rika, Tai, and 6 Digimon. "Looks like that's all of them." Gallantmon noticed.

"Seems that way. I'm not sensing any others." Ophanimon continued.

MetalGreymon glowed and returned to being Agumon. Angewomon changed back to Gatomon and Kyuubimon to Renamon.

Rika looked around, to see where Takato and Kari went, before settling on Gallantmon and Ophanimon. "You two are really Takato and Kari, aren't you?"

Gallantmon and Ophanimon glowed as the fog lifted, and out of their places showed Takato in Gallantmon's position and Kari in Ophanimon's. Rika blinked. "Huh. How did I see that one coming?" She mused.

Rumiko rushed forward, knowing the threat was gone, and embraced Rika, crying at how she put herself in danger. "Rika!" Seiko just watched the two. "What were you thinking?! You could've been hurt!"

"Mom..." Rika whispered. "It's okay, Renamon won't allow anyone to hurt me."

"But Rika..."

"She's right, Ms. Nonaka." Takato said. "It's Renamon's duty to make sure that Rika is safe from Digimon, and it's Rika's job to make sure she's up to the job." Guilmon walked up to Takato and stood besides him. "Guilmon and I are the same way... mostly. In our case, I'm stronger and more experienced that Guilmon is. He's only about two weeks old, after all."

"It's the same with me and Agumon, Ms. Nonaka." Tai continued. "Agumon draws his strength from me, and he uses it to protect me whenever he has to."

"Gatomon and I are the same way." Kari continued. "However, unlike Takato and Guilmon, I'm equal to Gatomon's Human Mega form, known as Ophanimon. Her Beast Mega form is Magnadramon, and it's stronger than I am. She also has about the same amount of experience as I do."

"Mom, I have to do this. If I don't, then you might get hurt, or worse. I still haven't gotten over _him_, but if I lost you too..." Rika trailed off.

"But what about you?" Rumiko cried out.

"If I don't do this you could die because I didn't do anything! Same with grandma and everyone else! If I can protect you, the only people I have left in my life then I'd do it! We're finally getting along thanks to these two, and that makes me want to do this even more because it means I'm protecting you!" Rika retorted.

Rumiko flinched as if struck. "But Rika..."

"I'll ask you the same question I asked Kari earlier today." Takato started. "What would you do to protect your family? Your friends? If it meant putting your life at risk, or even killing yourself, would you do it to protect them, even if the threat is yourself?"

Seiko's eyes widened when the true message hit her mind, and she realized it.

Mie and Takehiro nodded. "Takato has been doing this for years, Rumiko. We don't like it, but we accept it because it's something he has to do. Even so..." Takehiro looked at Takato. "Why didn't you tell us you could put on an armor like that?"

"Dad... that wasn't just an Armor. It's Guilmon's Human Mega Form. I can use both of his mega forms, just like Kari can go into both of Gatomon's mega forms. Her reason is because she's the Digital World's Child of Light. My reason is because I'm the Guardian of the Hazard. The first successful one for some time. What I did, was _become_ Gallantmon, not put on his armor, and use his shield and Lance. When I'm like that, I really am Gallantmon... Just be glad I didn't use the Beast Form, Megidramon. I could've taken them all out in about 3 or 4 attacks as Megidramon, but it wouldn't go unnoticed, nor would it be safe for the others around me."

"The only time he even trains it is when I'm around as Magnadramon." Kari continued for him. "I'm the one that keeps him sane in that state, because he still tends to go Feral in that form."

"Going Feral is bad, isn't it?" Mie frowned.

Takato nodded. "Why do you think I don't use that form often?" He paused. "Aside from the fact it's about 40 feet tall? I can barely control it."

Rumiko looked at him in surprise. "But what about Rika? How do I know she'll be safe now?"

"It is because I shall not let harm befall her, as I have since we met." Renamon answer. "It is my job to make sure she is unharmed. I have seen to her safety since I became her partner."

"You could consider Renamon Rika's Guardian, and bodyguard." Tai continued. "That's how I explained it to Mimi's parents. It eases some worries."

Takato nodded at Tai. "He's right, you know? Renamon is also stealthy enough to go around the city undetected by anyone but me and Kari, fast enough to strike without being seen, and then can simply disappear once more before she is ever noticed. The True Existence of Digimon are not widely known, and, unfortunately, I have orders to keep it that way as long as possible. My mother once told me my imagination is a curse. In a way, that's true. However, that curse can be for me... or someone I target. I can be quite sadistic sometimes, and Kari knows it. Heck, she's _seen it_ in action. My sadism may not show itself often, but when it does, she knows she has to either calm me down within 10 seconds, or get the heck away from the one that brought it out."

"That, and close my eyes. The sounds alone are gruesome enough. I'd hate to see what he does to Dragomon when he finally surfaces." Kari added. "I've actually seen it once, and I regret not closing my eyes. The only thing I've ever seen that was worse is when he went feral as Megidramon, and that nearly destroyed an entire Realm. I'd rather stare down Myotismon and Piedmon without Gatomon than Takato's Sadism."

Tai's eyes widened. "That bad?"

"Yes, Tai. It's _that_ bad." Kari confirmed. Tai grimaced. "And that's why I've found every way I possibly can to keep him calm, and sane. I'm the only one that's seen it firsthand. And if I were to be honest, Tai, I wouldn't wish that on Apocalymon, regardless of what he did to us and almost did to the world."

Tai looked at Takato. "For once, I have to say you're one lucky guy."

_Everyone_ was surprised at the proclamation. Even Rika, Agumon and Gatomon. Takato was just confused. "Huh? How am I lucky?"

"For one, you've got someone that has seen you at your worst and still wants to be around you. Not an easy thing to do, especially with what she's been claiming to prefer." Tai explained.

"There's more to it than that, Tai."

"Yeah. Well, considering its my sister, I'll admit I'm a little put off, but after Piedmon, Etamon, Myotismon, and Diaboromon, there isn't much that can scare me out of something. Seriously, after Diaboromon, any fear I may have had left was gone. I'll be the first to admit that Kari being around you like that could scare me, I know enough to know that she can handle it, and possibly reverse it. I don't like the fact that she'd be in danger but... well, after what I just saw, I think there's very few things that can truly take her out, and for that, I'm glad."

"I'm sensing a but here." Takato pointed out.

"But, like my friend Matt for his brother, I still worry for her safety. I have seen what's in your own heart, Takato. It's very much like mine, and that's an admirable thing, if a little stupid. And as such, if you ever do anything that would put her in danger... I will do something so horrible even _you_ wouldn't be able to imagine it." Tai's voice sounded so cold and dangerous, but Takato blinked, before nodding.

"Fine by me. I'd probably deserve it anyway." Takato shrugged. "Even though there's very little you could come up with that I can't, I'm not going to say that's its impossible. You're a lot like I am, Tai. I know you could do just that if you tried to. You just seem to ignore it most of the time. Your imagination can be just as bad, if not worse than mine... that and I know you'd be able to pull off a good portion of the ideas before I actually die from them."

Tai nodded with a smile on his face. "Glad you understand." One would think he was bipolar at that point.

Takato was the only one that thought otherwise. He knew what was going through Tai's head. He knew that it was a side of him he rarely, if ever, showed. The Overprotective brother side that all older brothers have.

He does the same to Kazu and Kenta, after all, and the same with Jeri. The something occurred to Takato. "Oh yeah, Tai?"

"Hmm?"

"When you next see Davis, the one that's pining after Kari, smack him one for me? I'd probably send him through a building if I did."

"Takato!" Kari admonished.

"He's annoying you, and asking my girlfriend on a date. Better a Big Brother that isn't able to send him through 5 buildings with a single finger, than a Jealous Boyfriend that can do just that before piercing his heart from a distance before leaving no trace or evidence of what was done. In short, I'm giving him the nicer option, since you're just too kind to tell him no, and that you're already taken."

Kari sighed. "I know that but still..."

Takato raised an eyebrow. "Would you rather I get my hands on him first?"

Kari shook her head. "I rest my case. As I was saying, Tai..."

"I'll only do it, on one condition."

Takato blinked, for some reason, thinking he won't like it. "Okay... What's the condition?"

Tai whispered in his ear. Takato's eyes widened. "Seriously? You want me to do _what_?!"

"It's either that, or I don't do a thing." Kari saw Tai's smirk.

Takato thought about it for a good 2 minutes. Everyone saw that he was thinking hard. He sighed, before looking at Tai. "Fine. I'll do it."

Tai grinned. "I knew you'd see it my way."

Everyone, Kari included, was at a loss to what just transpired. "What just happened?" Gatomon asked, voicing everyone's thoughts.

Takato waved them off. "It's a Gogglehead thing. None of you would understand."

"I'll expect the proof to be ready within a month, Takato." Tai pointed out.

"Any tips?" Takato asked. "It's not something I've ever done before, you know?"

"It's one of those things you _don't_ want to use your head for. Trust me. It hurts worse than a Monochromon stampeding over your head... Do _not_ ask how I know that."

"My head's harder than yours, so I could probably get out of it without a scratch."

Tai shrugged. "Your loss." He looked at Kari. "I think we should be getting back home."

"Actually, I'll take you to the Dark ocean, but I'd like to stick around an extra night. Mom, Dad, I'll need a bit of time to be able to explain what happened, or you could ask Shadow-sensei, who lives in the Dark Ocean about my abilities and their origin. He knows about as much as I do. Whatever he can't explain, I can fill in any holes afterwards."

Yuuko sighed. "And you can't tell us this now because...?"

"Because it's late and fighting as Ophanimon isn't exactly a good option for me. I'm better off as Magnadramon, but that's both too big, and pretty much overkill with everyone else here." Kari explained. "In others words, I'm pretty tired right now. I've got about 30 seconds before I pass out." 25 seconds later she said, "Good night." Her eyes closed and she fell forward, only to be caught by Takato.

"Mom, dad, I'll take her home. She'll have the top bunk, as usual, and I'll get the bottom bunk later, after I take them to Shadow-sensei." Takato flashed red, and the two were gone, before he popped back in, grabbed Gatomon, and left.

Seconds later, he was back, grabbed Tai and Agumon before flashing out, and then getting Susumu and Yuuko, and going back to where he dropped off Tai, before he took them all to Shadow's house. "They have questions on the Morphing ability, and Kari's abilities in general. She already promised to fill in any holes, but... I think you get the idea. My parents only have one bomb dropped on them tonight, maybe two. They have at least 5. See ya." He flashed back to the South Quadrant.

He picked up his parents, and Guilmon before flashing them home. Mie stopped him at the stairs. "You're going to explain how you changed forms, Young man." She pointed out.

"I know, mom. I was planning to later on, if it came up, and I haven't had to use it here. Only in the Dark Ocean. Either Extremely large numbers, or Ultimate Level Digimon and higher. Anything less than that is overkill. This is the first time I actually had to use either, and I was planning to tell you tomorrow the moment I brought it up to Kari, anyway. Just know that I didn't tell you before, because I didn't have to, and it would be easier on your mind if you adjusted to parts of it first."

Takehiro blinked. "If you were going to tell us tomorrow anyway, then why not now?"

"Because it's late and the story itself would take a good 4 hours to go into, and maybe another hour to answer questions. By then it would already be past midnight, and we still have to make the morning batch of bread at 5 AM." Takato explained.

Mie blinked at that. _'That's a good point.'_ "Alright, but don't think I'll forget."

"I wouldn't expect you to." Takato went into his room, and got into the bed, before passing out cold.

The moment he did, Kari somehow managed to teleport to the bottom bunk, and wrapped her arms around him, causing him to do the same.

And it wasn't the first time it happened, either.

00000x00000

Chapter complete!


	4. Chapter 4

Okay, this is another one I figure I should continue. I like the whole thing, actually.

Lets-a go!

**Chapter 4**

Takato had just explained to his parents the full set of his Morphing ability and why he had them, although Takehiro was slightly confused as to how Kari got into the bottom bunk with Takato.

Kari had also just left to explain more to her parents, but now Takato was just waiting for it to sink in to his parent's minds. "So..." Takato began.

"This is a part of what you could've done before, right?" Takehiro asked. Takato nodded. "Then why don't you use it? I mean it could help, right?"

Takato shook his head. "It can, but in the usual numbers, which is about 1 to 6, it's pretty much overkill. I used it there because that wasn't just a Bioemergence. That was a swarm. A _large_ swarm. With what came through, I'd actually treat it as 10 Ultimates, or a Mega level. _That_ is the kind of threat I'd morph for. Ultimates can't get through yet, so I don't have to use it often. Still, Guilmon managed to download about 13 Rookies and 2 Champions that he got a lucky shot at, but that's about all I can say on that matter."

"He didn't let it go?"

"Guilmon needed the Data. Renamon, Gatomon and Agumon didn't. If Guilmon doesn't absorb enough data, he might go Viral himself. Once he has enough data in him to open the door to Champion, it'll be unlocked on its own, only to let me handle it from there. The data isn't for unlocking it, though. It's for control."

"What about you and Kari?"

Takato shook his head. "Kari and I don't _need_ data. It's why I usually let it go. If Guilmon deletes a Digimon, he'll load their data for the Control it'll give him. That's about it. It's the Digimon version of Experience. The stronger the Digimon absorbed, the more Experience Guilmon gains. It's different for humans, even for me and Kari. A Digimon can gain a year of experience in about 3 seconds, if they can delete something powerful enough."

"And the reason Guilmon loads the data is because he's so Young?" Mie asked, mainly for clarification. Takato nodded. "So that's why he loads data still."

Takato nodded. "At this point, that's all he's doing. Once he has enough "Experience"," Takato used Quotation gestures. "I'll have him stop loading Data. He won't need it anymore. 3 Average Champions would be enough for him to stop, but I get the feeling that it won't be easy for that."

Mie sighed. "Takato, you should've told us about this. You know that, right?"

Takato nodded. "Like I said last night, I would've told you if you needed to know, or if I actually had to use it here. That's actually the first time I had to use it against a possible threat in this world. The only one that knows my full strength at the moment is Kari, because the Dark Ocean is the only place I'd willingly Unleash it."

"Care to explain that one?"

Takato nodded. "Somehow, the area is also resistant to the hazard. Light, I get. The Hazard? Not so much. Either way, I'm grateful, because it helps my own control. Because of that, I can fully unleash my power there without much worry... If Kari is there, I make sure she's already turned into Magnadramon before I do. It'll help me in case something goes wrong. Kami knows it's happened once before."

"What happened?"

Takato shrugged. "Dunno. When I lost it as Megidramon, I pretty much blacked out. I felt a warmth, which I would assume was Kari, later finding out it _was_, and she forced me to revert back. She _did_ say that it was thanks to her being Magnadramon that it worked, though."

"So you owe her?" Mie asked.

Takato looked up. "More than I can ever repay." He closed his eyes and sighed. "Kari has effectively saved my life more times than I care to count. She always says don't worry about it, but I do. I'll never truly be able to repay her until I've saved her life, but I doubt that's possible at the moment."

"And why's that?" Gatomon asked, surprising them all. "What? Kari's the Child of Light, but it's her abilities as Magnadramon and Ophanimon that let her cross over. When I found that out, I figured I could do it too. Works like a charm, too."

Takato blinked. "Gatomon, unless I'm mistaken, Kari thinks I'm stronger than her. The reality is, she's just as Strong as I am. Physically, maybe not. But the fact of the matter is, her Mind is actually _stronger_ than my own. Her heart is stronger than my own. That's what balances us out. And in a fight between us, she can heal herself. I can't. That's another thing that makes her better than I would be. Many things I've seen point to the fact that she's just as strong as I am. Maybe not as Powerful, but just as Strong, if not _stronger_ than me."

Gatomon thought about it, and nodded. "You've got a point there. But, as I'm sure you also know, Kari isn't the type of person to hold that against someone else."

"I know she's not. But I am. I can't let a debt like that go. Regardless of my abilities based on a Dark Dragon, I took far more traits from a Knight." Takato rubbed his head.

Gatomon nodded. She understood where he was coming from. "Well, I'll give you a piece of advice in the matter. Drop it." Takato, Mie and Takehiro blinked at the forceful tone. "Kari wouldn't want you to protect her. She can do that on her own, and if she can't, I can. I've seen it myself, and so have you. You don't have to save her life to repay her. Just be there for her. You probably know her description of the Light. It's everywhere, but the way its defined is how people see it. Why do you think she likes you so much? It's not because of what you've done, or what you look like. It's because you're someone she knows she can trust implicitly. Someone she _knows_ will never lead her astray. Many Light users can be. Heck, you know _my_ life story. Light can easily be tainted and become Darkness. You know what she fears, Takato. She knows what _you_ fear. And that alone is enough, because you shield each other from your fears."

Mie then realized the message. "He's doing just as much for her just by being around her as she is by keeping him sane, isn't he?"

Gatomon nodded at her. "Exactly."

Takato went silent. "Mom... I need to clear my head." He got up, grabbed a Notepad and some writing utensils, and walked out the door. "I'm not sure when I'll be back. Sorry if you still have questions, but I have to figure something out." His voice was subdued as he left.

"Well, he's in thought." Gatomon mused. "Anyway, I'm out. Later." Gatomon was gone in a flash of white light.

-East Quadrant-

Kari just walked around, not knowing what to think. Her parents had too many bombs dropped on them yesterday. She could tell it was just sinking in, though.

However, she didn't expect to walk right by someone else.

This kid had Maroon hair, Brown eyes, and wore square goggles. This was Davis Motomiya. "Kari! Hey!" She just walked on, not even acknowledging his call. He blinked. Usually, she turns and says hi. _'Something's wrong.'_ He thought. He ran up to her, and put a hand on her shoulder, before she grabbed the wrist, turned him around and put him on the ground.

Then she realized who she did that to. "Davis?" She let him up. "Sorry, I was lost in thought."

Davis got up, holding his arm. _'Man that HURT!'_ "S'okay Kari. I figured something was up. Want to talk about it?"

Kari shook her head. "No. It's just my family getting a Major dose of Reality dropped on them, that I'm letting them think on it. They couldn't deny what their eyes saw, and I guess I'm worried."

Davis blinked. "Heh, it's probably got nothing on what I've been doing and dreaming about the last 3 years."

Kari raised an eyebrow at that. "Okay, you've got my attention. What are you talking about?"

"Eh, it's just unbelievable. Even to me, I'll admit."

"Well, I've seen and done my fair share of Impossible things. Maybe I can help figure it out." Kari pointed out.

"Well... Have you ever heard about something called Digimon?" Kari stopped at this question, and turned to face him. "What?"

"You... know about Digimon?"

Davis blinked. "You know about them?"

"Of course I know. I was in the Digital World 3 years ago." Kari told him.

"Oh... Then this won't be as crazy as I thought it would be." Davis admitted. "Well, get this. I've somehow been gaining the memories of a Digimon named Magnamon. Dunno why, but I have."

"Every Ophanimon and Magnadramon that's ever existed, here." Kari retorted. "The reason being I have Magnadramon's data in me. But for you being Part Magnamon, I gotta say I'm impressed you've got a Royal Knight in you."

"Hehe... Does this mean what I think it does?"

"If it means you're getting a date, no." Kari replied, earning a downcast look from Davis.

"You don't like Magnamon, I take it?"

"Actually, I'd feel like I'm cheating on Megidramon." Kari admitted, causing him to blink.

"Why him? He destroyed the entire Royal Knights, and absorbed Gallantmon!" Davis asked, surprised.

"Because of Magnadramon. The two were a couple way back when." Kari admitted. "This time, Megidramon is in a Human, and... well, we've known each other since I was five. He's only 8 months older than me, actually."

Davis blinked. "Dare I ask why I've never seen him?"

"You know anything about the Quadrants?"

"Of course."

"We're in the East. He's in the South. I see him every Saturday. That's why you never see me on that day."

Davis just walked next to her. "Your parents found out about Magnadramon, didn't they?"

Kari nodded. "Yeah."

"My parents still don't know." Davis admitted. "They wouldn't be able to handle it."

"What about Jun?"

"She probably suspects something, but doesn't know what." Davis admitted. "Think you can help?"

Kari shrugged. "I'm sure I can think of something. If I can't, Shadow-sensei can. He taught me most of what I know. Same with Takato... My boyfriend." She added at his confused look.

"Oh. Any chance I can meet him?"

"Maybe. Dunno."

"You need to know what I can do, don't you?" Davis asked, earning a nod. "I guess I should've seen this coming."

"Well, we can figure it out later. For now, I've got to get him off your back. He's been wanting to hurt you for trying to flirt with me."

Davis shivered. "Not good."

"I may be able to convince him, but for some reason, I doubt it if Tai doesn't come through."

"He knows Tai, too?"

"Yeah, he's been over a few times, but not often." Kari admitted. "The two made a deal of some sort. Tai isn't explaining, and I wouldn't get it out of Takato. He just told me it was a Gogglehead thing, which isn't exactly something that I would like."

"Huh... Maybe I can figure it out." Davis mused. "Well, I have no shot with you, I guess. Any chance we can just be friends?"

"I'm sure we'd _all_ like that."

Davis nodded.

-South Quadrant-

Takato and Guilmon walked out of a Digital Field. "Guilmon?"

"Something wrong, Takatomon?"

Takato shook his head. "Here on out, only download the Data if I give you the go, okay? I don't want to stop a few things from coming back as a good Digimon."

"Okie-dokey!" Guilmon raised a claw.

The two didn't notice that someone saw them leave the area. "Hey, Takatomon?"

"Yeah boy?"

"Can we go see Terriermon? I think we need a Momentai."

Takato chuckled. "Guilmon..."

"Momentai, Takato." They both chuckled at the familiar conversation.

The observer just watched as they walked off. However, a mother and son duo walked by them. "Wow! Cool suit! It is supposed to be a RedAgumon?" The kid asked.

Takato shook his head. He'd played this game for a while now. "No, it's a Guilmon suit."

"I've never heard of a Digimon by that name." The kid looked at his mother. "Mom! I want to be a Guilmon for Halloween!"

The mother rolled her eyes, while the man was watching intently. "I'm sorry Young man, but where did you find a costume like that?"

Takato answered the question. "You can't find this costume in stores ma'am. I made Guilmon up myself. If you want, I can give you a list for some basic materials for the full effect we got."

Guilmon nodded his head. "That would be appreciated."

Takato pulled out his notepad, and wrote down a list, before handing the paper to the woman. "Here you go. It's a bit of a pain to get some of the creases right though. Fair warning." He also handed a precise drawing, complete with colors, of Guilmon. "Here's a picture you can use as a reference."

"Thank you, Young man. I appreciate it." The woman and kid walked off.

As they noticed no one else was around, he sighed. "Talk about Ignorance..."

"Ignorance is bliss but Knowledge is power." Guilmon repeated what he had heard Takato saying a lot.

Takato chuckled. "Yeah. If people found out Digimon were real there would be mass Panic. But then again, that's nothing compared to the threat Shadow-sensei thought was coming."

"You think we can't win, Takatomon?"

"Guilmon, you can barely reach Champion right now. From the way he spoke, it seems like several Mega level Digimon can't even take it. And the fact that it's coming here is even worse." Takato sighed. "I really wish that we could..." He cut himself off, as he realized something. "Let's go boy. We've gotta move."

"Something wrong?"

His D-Ark went off, and he looked at the screen. "Aw nuts. If it's not one thing, it's another. Time to go to the Ocean, boy."

"Okay! I like playing with Gatomon!"

Takato chuckled and nodded, before they both vanished In a flash of Red. This caused their observer's eyes to widen. _'What did that kid do? He's not human, that's for sure.'_

He walked off.

-2 days later-

Takato sighed as he got out of school. Recently, a new friend of his, Henry Wong, had come around. Apparently, a Gorillamon came through the other day, aiming to kill his partner. Since Takato was nowhere to be found, and Rika was busy for some reason, the two had to pull together.

A man in a Black Government Suit with Sunglasses popped up from a nearby alley. "The two of you are playing a Dangerous game." He said.

Takato blinked. "Really? I wasn't aware a game was being played. Don't think I heard the rules, either."

Takato masked his emotions highly well. He knew who this was, though. 2 days ago, he was following him and Guilmon before Shadow called him to relay some information.

"You know exactly what I mean. Those Digital Pets of yours..."

Takato held up a hand, as it glowed red. "I'm sorry, did you just call them _pets_?" There was a hint in his tone that both of them noticed. It was that of a warning.

"They're dangerous to be around. You'd best..."

Takato cut him off again. "I'm stronger than my _partner_. By a Longshot. I've been at this for _years_. I know the dangers of what I do to the full extent. If I wanted to, you'd be dead where you stand." He glanced at Henry who was a little put off. "Henry, go on ahead."

"You sure about this, Takato?"

Takato nodded, his eyes back on the Agent, who wasn't expecting that statement.

"Okay... I'll call you later." Henry ran off. Takato just glared at the Agent.

"Look, you want this world free of Digimon. That is _not_ possible."

"Listen here, you..."

"_No_. You listen. I've been around Digimon for 6 years now. I can handle far beyond what's been able to cross over. You may not know it, _boy_, but this world is not the only one out there, and the Digital World is _impossible_ to destroy. You may think Digimon are Data, but that's where you're wrong. Digimon are the Humans of the Digital World. The two worlds are so closely interlinked that if something happens to the Digital World, or the Digimon themselves, _this world_ will suffer the consequences. That happens, and the past 3 years I've spent protecting this world from Dangerous Digimon while keeping the secret of their existence will have been a complete waste of time. As such, I'm only gonna say this once." Takato started walking off.

"If you're going to do anything to the Digital World, it's my responsibility as the Guardian of the Digital Hazard to stop you. I don't need the Government on to something they can't possibly comprehend or even handle. Good day, Agent-san." With his next step, Takato broke out into a Red blur as he ran off.

"That kid is going to be a handful." The man stated, before walking off.

-a few days later-

It was now a Thursday, and something had happened. Takato had realized that a Digimon had come through, but something was off.

The moment the Digimon crossed over, he disappeared. Takato knew this to be a target. This one just knew how to hide his Digital Energy. This would be a Dangerous opponent. What's more is, he only figured out it was a Virus type, and it was powerful. He had to warn Rika and Henry. Since the signal woke him up, he went downstairs and warned his parents.

During school, he seemed to zone out a few times, but I reality he was scanning for any trace of the Digital Energy.

His teaching walked up to him, and before she could even start tapping her foot, he looked at her with confusion in his eyes. "Something wrong?"

"Yes, care to explain what you were doing?" Ms. Asaji questioned. He had been a good student, one of her best academically, but also a lot more absentminded than most.

"Actually, it was a Quantum Formula I had come across last night." He answered. "It's actually got me stumped at the moment."

"Then think on it later." She replied, though she was impressed. He got good grades in all subjects, but rarely put any effort into his work. Still, how could someone so lazy in class be so smart? That and as athletic as he was.

However, no one could explain his sudden liking towards Soccer. He was known as the Typhoon by the Track Runners of all grades, even High School Teams. She also knew he had a close relationship to the Digimon Queen, which was known by Digimon TCG Enthusiasts. No one knew this, but Ms. Asaji was actually a pretty big fan of Digimon. Of course, no one knew that, much less why she was, aside from her Husband.

They were also the only ones that knew of this particular secret. However, this time, something caught Takato's eye.

And it wasn't a normal Digital Signal.

He decided to comment on it later, but still... he had to find that Digimon.

He sighed, as he tuned out Ms. Asaji's Lecture once more to try to find the source of this new Digital Signal. He had decided to try and figure out where it was coming from, but when he found out, he had to hold back his gasp.

He closed his eyes, and looked at his teacher with his Mind's eye. Ms. Asaji turned around, and saw his eyes closed, and was about to walk back to him, when his eyes snapped open in surprise, staring right at her. This confused her, but instead put it off for later. She went back to the lesson, and then gave them an assignment. "Read pages 92-105. If you haven't finished by lunch, you'll stay here until you do."

Takato took this moment to try and initialize a mental Link with his Teacher. _"Ms. Asaji, can you hear me?"_

"Silently, please." Ms. Asaji groaned.

"_Yeah, I'm not talking with my mouth. It's Telepathy."_ Takato replied in amusement.

This had her scanning the room for someone that wouldn't be looking at their books, and found two.

Of the two, Takato was looking directly into her eyes. _"Bingo."_

Her eyes widened. _"Takato? How... When..."_

"_I'll explain when you tell me why you have a Dormant Type of Digital Energy inside of you."_

She stiffened, but no one noticed. _"What are you talking about?"_

"_I saw you stiffen up. You know _exactly_ what I'm talking about. Tell me what you know about the Digital World, and I mean as a real thing, and I'll tell you why I can do this."_ Takato replied.

"_I doubt you'd figure it out. Unless..."_

"_Unless I was using my Own Digisoul to pull this off."_ Takato finished her thought for her.

"_I did not expect this, Nami. Not in a long time."_

"_Ranamon?"_ Ms. Asaji mentally asked.

"_Ranamon? As in, the Legendary Warrior of Water? THAT Ranamon?"_

"_That's me. Also, I'm actually surprised that the Guardian of the Hazard is actually a Human child."_ Ranamon pointed out.

"_So you noticed, eh?"_ Takato replied.

"_Kind of hard not to. I noticed the first day you were in her class."_

"_Why didn't you tell me?"_ Ms. Asaji questioned.

"_Thought you sensed it too."_

"_In case you've forgotten, my Sixth Sense for detecting Digimon has faded without a need to use it."_

"_So, Ms. Asaji is the Host for the Legendary Warrior of Water, eh?"_

Ms. Asaji sighed. _"Yes, Takato. I am."_

"_Huh. That pretty much answers all questions I have."_ Takato admitted. _"As Ranamon already told you, I'm the Guardian of the Hazard. It means I bear the burden of holding all the power that Megidramon of the Original Four Great Dragons had when he was deleted. That and I get all the memories of each previous holder of the Digital Hazard. Which Includes every Gallantmon, every Dukemon, and every Megidramon. Not to mention their other forms."_

"_That's... gratifying. Is that why you barely pay attention in class yet get so many good grades?"_ Ms. Asaji asked.

"_Pretty much. Gallantmon, regardless of him not being the smartest of the Royal Knights, normally had an IQ of about 180. Most Digimon have their about 120 on Average. Virus Types tend to have about 90 on Average. That's why I know so much."_

"_That Quantum Equation was a lie, wasn't it?"_ Ms. Asaji sighed.

"_Actually, the only part about that that wasn't true was the fact that it's not what I was thinking about. A Digimon crossed over early this morning, but it suppressed its power before I could get an accurate reading on its level, or location. I know it's a Virus type, though. I was actually searching for any trace of it. I haven't found any sign of it yet, unfortunately. When you reached me, I tore out of that sensory mode to look at you. Then I felt something close by, and tried to pinpoint it. You turned to me when I realized who it was. You know the rest."_

Ms. Asaji sighed once more. _"Takato, who knows about you being the Guardian of the Hazard?"_

"_Let's see... My Girlfriend, two of my friends, Kazu and Kenta are NOT aware of this information, I had to wipe their memory of what I did, my Girlfriend's family, my family, and the two other Tamers in the city. Oh and one Government Agent that may want to Destroy the Digital World."_

"_Why your Parents?"_

"_I fight Digimon in the city, and have for 3 years. Better that they know I can handle myself than have them worry all over things... The fact that she saw me rebound 5 different Honeybeemon at once was the final straw, and she knew then that I could truly handle myself... What happened last Saturday night was only an even bigger indicator that I could truly handle myself."_

"_Dare I ask?"_

"_Me, my partner, My girlfriend and her Partner, her brother and _his_ partner, and one of the other Tamers in the city teaming up against a Swarm of 19 Dokugumon, and 41 Kodokugumon. My partner is currently stuck at Rookie level, The tamer can go up to Champion, My girlfriend's partner, though she can go up to Mega, was at Ultimate, and her brother's partner was an Ultimate at the time, since I unlocked it once more. Used to be able to get to Mega, but that closed itself off."_

Ms. Asaji blinked, before realizing that Takato was going through a book. _"You've been reading while talking, haven't you?"_

"_It's not the Assignment, if that's what you're thinking. This is actually a Digital History Book that was found by Shadow-sensei in the North Quadrant. A Digimon named Bokomon wrote it."_

"_I remember him. My Husband had traveled alongside him... Wait, is that the original?"_

"_Yes, as a matter of fact, it is. Believe it or not, I saw Bokomon right before he was deleted, he managed to get the book to Shadow-sensei and was asked to make sure its knowledge was kept safe. It usually happens that way."_

Ms. Asaji looked a little depressed. _"Junpei is not going to like this. We still don't know what happened, and we don't know why the two of us aren't anywhere near the others."_

"_Hmm... Could be the fact that Bokomon came from the North Quadrant, while we're currently in the South Quadrant."_

"_THAT explains it!"_ Ranamon replied.

"_Ranamon?"_

"_The reason we can't contact the others is because they're in the Real World aligned with the North Quadrant while we're in the Real World aligned with the South Quadrant. This is a different Earth than the one you're used to."_

"_Is that even possible?"_

"_It is. I travel to the East Quadrant every now and then. My Girlfriend lives there and is the Child of Light. Not the Warrior of Light, which, according to this book, is male."_ Takato replied. _"I'm sure Shadow-sensei and I can figure out who the link to the North Quadrant is, and we can let them deliver any message you and this Junpei guy want to tell the others."_

"_You'd do that?"_

"_I base my personality more on Gallantmon than I do Megidramon. If I can, I'll get it done. Just write them up, and I'll ship them out."_ Takato said.

Just then, Ms. Asaji's phone rang, and she answered it. "Hello?"

_Honey, I think we'll have to give up trying to find a way back._ A male voice said.

"Junpei... Whatever you want to tell the others, just write them up. I think I found someone that can get them there."

_What are you talking about? There's no trace of them anywhere._

"Let's just say this only came to my attention recently, but I found someone that is willing to deliver a few messages, though only once."

_They can't take us there?_

"Not likely." She looked at Takato. "Besides, we have jobs now. We might as well stick around."

"_He wants to go back, doesn't he?"_

"_Yes, Takato, he does."_

"_I can make it happen, but only to the halfway point. I don't go to the North Quadrant enough to bring someone else with me, and I'm the Link to the South Quadrant. The Link to the North Quadrant should be able to handle the task, though."_

"He might be able to take us to the Mid-point, but not much else."

_I see... Well, when you see them, let them know I appreciate it. I'll write the letters now. Any time to be wary of?_

"_Takato, is there a Time Limit?"_

"_If you can get them done by Saturday, I'll be able to get it done then. I'll be the East Quadrant, so I should be able to drop them off on the way there."_

"Saturday would be best."

_Alright, Honey. See you when you get home?_

"Of course." She hung up and sent a grateful look to Takato. _"Thank you, Takato."_

"_Don't mention it."_ Takato went back to his book. She cut him some slack, as he had been reading, just not what she told the class to read, and he had just given her a way to contact her friends and family.

When Lunch came around, she spoke up. "Takato can you stay back for a moment. We need to talk."

"Of course, Ms. Asaji."

Kazu, Kenta, and his friend Jeri looked at him in surprise and then Pity.

"Ms. Asaji, is Takato in Trouble?" Jeri asked.

"No, Jeri. It's nothing for you to worry about."

She nodded, and pulled Kazu and Kenta away from them. When they were gone, Ms. Asaji spoke. "Are you sure you can do this?"

"I could get there myself, sure. The Mid-point is a given, but in order to get to the North Quadrant I have to be able to track a Single Digital Signature, or know the Quadrant extremely well. Also, another limit is that, in order to bring someone with me, I need both points, not just one. On my own, I can use either one. The Link to the North, however, can take you both the rest of the way, should he have the training."

Ms. Asaji nodded. "Go ahead, and get your lunch, Takato. And please, don't let Digimon be known. I can't exactly lose my job right now."

Takato got up and walked to the door. "Ms. Asaji, I've kept my status secret from my parents for 3 years. I think I can avoid mentioning your connection. I'll be telling my Girlfriend, though. She's met up with the Warrior of Wood, which is currently residing in the East Quadrant as a Park Ranger."

"She going to be there?"

Takato didn't answer as he left the room. When she got to the door, she saw he was gone.

Henry, Kazu, Kenta and Jeri were sitting at a table when Takato walked up to them and sat down. "Hey guys."

"What did she want you for?"

"Oh, it's just something that she noticed today that she didn't notice before." Takato shrugged. "Nothing really interesting."

Henry raised an eyebrow, but Takato stopped as he sensed Renamon nearby and Rika right next to her. He turned his head slightly. "Dare I ask why you're here?"

"School was evacuated due to a Massive Stink Bomb." Rika explained, before she sat down at the table.

"What are you doing here?" Kazu questioned.

"Is it wrong to be with a friend of mine?"

"Well... no, but..."

"Kazu, drop it. I earned her respect, already. The Tournament was the only the first thing I did that helped." Takato stated.

"So, how's Kari?"

"Well, she's doing a bit better, but has actually been a little busy training someone. She won't tell me who, though." Takato admitted. "It's her family I'm worried about."

"They're not exactly for what happened on Saturday, are they?"

"No, they are not." Takato answered.

"Is it that large Bioemergence?" Henry asked, earning the attention of the other three. Takato nodded. Jeri, Kazu and Kenta may not know the full story of Takato's abilities, but they all knew about Guilmon, and promised not to tell anyone... Kazu and Kenta under a threat to lose what called them males if they did.

"Yeah, that would be it."

"What happened? Sorry I couldn't be there, but I was actually in a Family Meeting and I couldn't go after it in time." Henry explained.

"Well, it was a swarm of Dokugumon and Kodokugumon. A total of 60 Digimon." Kazu and Kenta's eyes widened in surprised.

"And You're still alive?"

Takato and Rika nodded. "We were both there, along with Kari and her Brother who has an Agumon as a Partner." Rika added. "My mom still isn't happy about it, but my Grandmother at least accepts that I have to do it."

Takato nodded. "It'll take a while for her to realize that it's what you have to do. Even when she does, she still won't like it, my mother certainly doesn't. She's just be a little more lenient and understanding once she accepts it. Although what you said might have shocked her even more."

Takato then turned his head sharply towards the school, as he was outside. He sighed as he recognized it. "The little creampuff..."

"Creampuff?" Jeri asked.

"You remember when you told me about the thing in the Nurse's Office?" Jeri nodded, though she was hiding her fear... at least she tried to. "And you remember Calumon, right?" She nodded, her fear gone. "They're both one and the same." Jeri blinked, not understanding it.

"What do you mean? Calumon isn't anywhere close to scary." Jeri pointed out.

Takato nodded. "He got the jump on you, and you weren't prepared. _That's_ why he scared you then."

Jeri thought about it and nodded. It made sense to her. "Okay... Is he gonna apologize?"

Takato shrugged. "Probably doesn't think he did anything wrong. Besides, I stopped him from getting Cream Puffs when I found out. He didn't get any for a week. He learned Quickly. He drops by the Bakery every now and then, and I give him some usually. He can apparently eat four times his own weight. I know. I checked."

Henry and Rika blinked. "He's an In-training isn't he?" Rika asked.

Takato nodded. "He is, and that's why I'm not surprised. When he reaches four times his own weight, it won't show, but he won't be eating anymore." He chuckled, before he stopped and looked directly at the school. "Seriously, Calumon?"

"Okay, what's going on?" Henry asked, somewhat worried.

Takato got up, and ran towards the building, surprising a few people. Rika and Henry looked at each other and then the other two... wait, two?

Jeri was already gone.

-hallway-

Jeri was standing by a locker as a white and Blue Digimon was gliding through the air. "Oh! Hiya Jeri!"

"Calumon." Jeri smiled sweetly as she caught him. She then looked into his eyes. "You remember the Chalk Line Incident, Calumon?"

"You mean the time I wanted to make that game better and Takato said was a bad thing to do?" Calumon asked, his ears shrinking.

"The very one." Jeri replied. "You remember when you jumped out of a closet?"

"Yeah, there was this person that fell backwards, but I didn't get a good look at them."

"That person was me, Calumon. You scared me then, you know that right?"

"That's what happened? Takato always said that scaring people is a bad thing to do."

"It is." Jeri agreed.

Calumon looked sad. "Are you mad, Jeri?"

Jeri smiled at the apologetic tone. "No, I'm not. I wish you'd have told me earlier, though. You're just too cute to be mad at."

Takato was walking up to them, and noticed. "The Principal is in shock right now. They're going to close down school until the Board can find a replacement. The principal has gone senile..." He shook his head. "Calumon, for once, I'm glad you scared someone. Tomorrow morning, you're getting Cinnamon Rolls."

Calumon's ears opened up and his eyes widened. "Yeah! Cinnamon rolls! Hey! Can I get a Calumon Bread, too? Huh, can I? Huh, can I? Can I, huh?" He jumped towards Takato, who caught him.

"Maybe. Gotta finish the first good one, Calumon."

"Yeah! Calumon bread!" Calumon cheered.

Takato handed him to Jeri. "Mind watching over him? If he goes missing don't worry. If a Digimon goes after him, he knows to get out of there."

Calumon nodded. "Of course, Takato."

"Yeah! Come on, Jeri! Let's go!" Jeri giggled, earning a smile from Takato.

The next day, since school was canceled, Ms. Asaji came up to his home, with a large envelope. He took this as the letters to her friends from the North Quadrant. "Mom, I'm heading out! Calumon's bag is marked!"

"Okay! Be careful!"

"I'm going to the Real North! Far as I know, nothing bad."

"Alright, but still...!"

"I know!" Takato ran out the door, reached the Shed, and went into the Dark Ocean. There he was greeted by Guilmon. "Hey boy. Here's some Guilmon Bread." He held out a bag.

"Yay! Guilmon Bread! Guilmon Bread! Bread loaf shaped just like my head!" Guilmon chanted three times before he tore into them.

Takato walked up to Shadow's place, and saw him. "Shadow-sensei, you remember our conversation last night?"

"Of course. I have a lock on them, right now."

"Them?"

"The Link happens to have formed in Twins, for some reason." Shadow answered. "Oh, and one of them comes here pretty often. He always comes on Wednesday Afternoons."

"Huh. What's his name? Maybe he's one of the ones the letters are for."

"Koichi Kimura. The Warrior of Darkness."

Takato sighed. "Any chance you can call him here?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I can. I can call his twin too, if you would like to meet them."

"Actually, the majority of the letters is to the Legendary Warrior Team in the North. The rest is for the families of The Hosts of Water and Thunder."

"Huh. That makes sense." Shadow stated, before pulling out a Cell phone.

_'Wait, cell phone?'_

"I have this to contact the links, should I find one." Shadow answered the unasked questioned. "Hello, Koichi? Yes, I would like to see the remaining Team Members. Apparently, there are people in the South that know you... Dunno. Never felt the shift... alright. Oh, and your Brother is a Link, just as you are."

_Alright, I'll bring them in. Can the link to the South bring the ones that know us?_

"Can you bring them here? I didn't feel the shift."

Takato nodded. "Call Kari, and have her get the Warrior in the East, once you're done with the call, then. There's at least one down there."

Shadow nodded. Takato vanished, before reappearing about 20 minutes later with Ms. Asaji, and her husband: Junpei Asaji. He looked like he had lost a lot of weight since his teenage years, and gained a lot of muscle. "This feels similar to the Digital World." Junpei noticed.

"Well, it's the link to all Quadrants, whether Real or Digital Worlds." Takato explained.

A flash of white appeared, showing Kari and a Park Ranger. "Kenji?" Ms. Asaji asked, surprised.

"Nami? What happened? You know where we are?"

"It feels like the Digital World, but I can tell it isn't."

Just then, a large flash of White and black entered the area, revealing a group of 16 year old teenagers, all of which were noticed. "Takuya?" Nami questioned, eyes wide as she saw the group.

"Who are... Nami?!" The one in red with Goggles on his head shouted in response. "What happened? You're so..."

"Don't say it, Taky." Junpei interrupted. "Or have you learned nothing from Zoe?"

They all turned to him. Their eyes widened. "JP?!" was the simultaneous cry.

Koichi then turned to Shadow. "Why didn't you tell me about them?"

Shadow merely shrugged. "Didn't know until yesterday." He looked at Takato. "If not for Takato here, I would never have known about those two." He pointed at Junpei and Nami. "If not for Kari," He pointed at her. "I would not have known about Kenji, either. You owe this meeting to them, not me."

Takato cleared his throat. "Takuya Kanbara, I believe these belong to those of your group." He handed over the large envelope. "Letter from Ms. Asaji and her Husband. Go through them, and then talk."

Zoe, a blonde haired girl, looked at Junpei. "I thought you'd never get over me, JP. What happened?"

"Let's just say the only person I knew I could trust was Nami here, so we took a different last name, but stuck together as much as possible." JP looked at her. "Ended up Marrying her 5 years ago. Best decision of my life, regardless of the fact that I'm Thunder and she's Water. We actually get along quite well."

Zoe walked up to Nami. "If you don't mind my asking, did you really make it into the Teaching business?"

She nodded. "I'm actually Takato's teacher. I teach fifth grade students. He's the reason I'm even here right now."

Takuya looked at Takato. "So, your name is Takato, huh? Taking care of our friend... Regardless of how old she is?"

Before anyone could tell him of his mistake, Takuya hit the ground face first. Takato had his left hand balled and his eyes closed right behind where Takuya was standing. "Never call a woman old, Takuya. It'll bite you in the ass. Every Gallantmon knows this, because they all make the same mistake at least once. Each time they nearly get themselves _killed_. Do the math."

Takuya groaned. Kari blinked before smiling. "Good going, Takato."

Takato looked at Nami. "Any chance you could forgive him for his idiocy, Ms. Asaji?"

She simply shrugged. "Really, I was expecting that comment sooner or later. Junpei may have stopped him the first time, but it wouldn't stop him for good. We all know it."

Takato and Kari just walked to a different part of the area, as the group of 10 started talking. "So, anything new in the East?"

Kari shook her head. "Did you find the threat in the South?"

"No." Takato sighed. "Davis better be leaving you alone." He pointed out.

"He's not asking me out anymore, if that's what you're worried about."

Takato blinked. "Okay, what happened?"

"Found out why he was attracted to me in the first place. He has Magnamon in him. When he told me that, I came clean. He took it well. I've been training him as much as I can, but I don't know how much else I can help with." Kari explained.

"Huh... That _does_ explain a lot." Takato mused, before taking out a notepad and writing in it. Kari noticed. "Do you know something that can help?" She asked.

Takato nodded. "I do. Writing it down now." He continued writing, and when he finished he handed the notepad to her. "Give these notes to Davis. They're explanations Magnamon told Gallantmon about his abilities. They should help quite a bit. If what you say is true, and no I'm not doubting you, then this information would help him."

Kari looked over them and noticed some of the things he wrote down were possibilities from what she had already seen, and heard from him. "I'll admit I thought some of these were possible, but he never brought them up. Either he doesn't know about them, or he knew they existed, just not how to do them."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Pardon?"

"He's already shown me a few things he had figured out on his own, but he learned them in secret. His family doesn't even know. I was tempted to bring him here, but I don't think it's a good idea. Not yet, at least. He can't even teleport yet. He hasn't been able to figure it out."

Naruto thought for a moment. "Most Magnamon are tailored more for speed and endurance than anything else. If he isn't a soccer player, that's the best sport for him, minus Track. Honestly, I think he would be better off in Soccer."

"Well he does like Soccer, and he's pretty good. Not as good as Tai, though."

"Yeah, I figured. Anyway, I've also started getting into a Soccer league myself. Before you say anything, blame Tai for that decision."

"That's what he asked for, isn't it?"

"Score 20 goals in the same half of a Soccer Game against a Championship team was the deal. I'm actually the youngest on the team I found, but I'm also the best. Apparently, I can handle any position the coach gives me, and I can handle any of them. All of my fighting experience has been helping, too. I know where every teammate is, every opponent, and even the ball. I don't even have to look, and I don't have to sense them, either. I just know where they are, no matter what. The next game is on Sunday, if you want to watch."

"I think Tai will want to, as well."

Takato shrugged. "It's not a Championship team, but I figure he'd like the show. Let him know?"

"Might as well. He's been helping Agumon in secret, though. Just in case something else happens soon."

Takato nodded. He had expected it when he told Tai that Agumon's abilities were stagnating because of him. "How's your parents handling it?"

"My father is still going ballistic, but my mother sees the point... It may have something to do with me having Angewomon firing an arrow at Tai, giving Agumon the boost to Wargreymon. I think she saw that." Kari pointed out.

"I could go talk with her if you want?"

Kari shook her head. "My father is the one that needs convincing. I can tell that Shadow-sensei didn't convince him enough. Still, with their attention on me, Tai's been getting Agumon back into shape without any problems. He hasn't told the others though. Though how he's keeping it from Sora, I have no idea."

"Tai's naturally strange, Kari. You know that. Sora probably doesn't see much going on than Tai being a Gogglehead." Takato pointed out.

Kari thought about it and nodded. "True. He is a little strange, but with the Digital World, I really think that it's just normal."

Takato shrugged. "Sora knows that, so she doesn't see anything wrong."

She giggled a bit. "Still, what about Matt? He'll find out sooner or later. Same with Izzy."

"Tai won't tell them if they don't ask. Far as I know, there's no trouble in the East. Until that happens, unless they ask, he probably won't saying anything on the matter." Takato shook his head. "Oh, and did you know Gatomon came by Sunday?"

Kari nodded. "I actually sent her there. I knew something was up, but I knew you wouldn't tell me." She shook her head. "I know you feel like you owe me, and I'll admit that. But you don't have to repay me by saving my life. You're doing enough just by being with me. She told you the truth, Takato. I may have saved your life, but you've been saving what's left of my Sanity. I figure that's a fair trade off."

Koichi heard this, being apart from the others in his group. _'Saving her sanity? What the hell?'_

"Being the Child of Light is about as hard as being the Guardian of the Hazard, isn't it?"

Koichi was surprised. He knew these two were links, but didn't expect _that_.

"It is. Light is about as hard to control as the Hazard, but I manage. The Hazard is meant to be a Force of Pure Destruction, but you and most Gallantmon found a way around that. I found a way around the Dark half of Light, and the reason I haven't lost my mind is you. I need whatever Sanity I have left, and you keep it grounded for me, just like I do for you."

Takato nodded. Koichi gave a small smile at that. She was the Child of Light, but understood Light better than most. _'She'll be a keeper. Too bad she's probably taken by him.'_

"What's up, Koichi?" Koji, Koichi's twin, questioned.

"Nothing. Just overhearing the other two Links present talk."

"I've been listening too." Koji admitted. "Surprised that she knows the truth about the Light?"

"Slightly. But the truth of the Hazard is also something widely ignored. Those two are obviously a couple, though." Koichi admitted. "Even I don't know the Truth of the Digital Hazard."

"Want to bring it up to them?" Koji asked. He knew his twin. Something else piqued his interest. Koji wanted to find out what.

"Nah. It's their business. Besides, I can tell Takato's got a brighter heart than you." Koichi pointed out, Koji nodded his agreement. "That and the fact that Kari isn't afraid of the Darker Side of Light is a good thing for her. If you want to talk to her, what with you being the Warrior of Light, you may be able to spitball a few ideas."

Koji nodded. He wasn't much of a Party guy, regardless of being the Warrior of Light. The two walked over, and introduced themselves. "Kari, if you want some other pointers on using the Light for Offense, I'm willing to help. I know very little about the Defensive and Support Aspects of Light, though." Koji explained.

She looked at Takato, who shrugged. "As long as he doesn't flirt, I don't care."

Koji nodded at that. "Not looking for a Girlfriend anyway. Too busy with Kendo."

Takato sent him a look. "I run Track, Soccer, fight Digimon on my own, go to school, work in a Bakery, in which I live, and I _still_ make time for my friends, _and_ my Girlfriend. Just Kendo? I can't say I believe that."

Koji shrugged. "Believe what you want. My father is too strict for anything else. He doesn't even like my friends."

Takato blinked. "Okay, _that_ I can believe."

"I'm also curious about the Digital Hazard. Very little is known about the truth of it all. Mind explaining it?" Koichi asked. "I'm willing to help out if I can, or even expand my abilities into yours. For all I know, you could probably use some actual Digimon Attacks that have nothing to do with the Hazard."

Takato blinked. He didn't even consider that a possibility. "Koichi, you and I are going to have a _long_ talk."

-East Quadrant-

Davis met up with Tai at a soccer field. "Oh, hey! Tai! What's up?"

"Davis, have you seen Kari?"

"Yeah, she said she was called by Shadow." Davis stated. Tai looked stumped. "Oh, she didn't tell you I knew about Digimon?"

Tai sighed and shook his head. "I'm really gonna have to talk to her about this."

Davis shrugged. "Anyway, she left a couple hours ago. Right afterschool, actually. Something about getting a Warrior to a meeting. She's also helping me with my own abilities. Apparently, I have Magnamon Data in me. For all I know, her boyfriend is probably there."

Tai sighed. "At least I know I can count on him."

-Dark Ocean-

The warriors had their fun together, while Koichi talked with Takato about possibilities, while Kari was helping Koji with Defensive and Support uses of Light. He had been helping her understand the Offensive Power of Light. It had been 3 hours since they all got together, and the festive mood, regardless of the Dark area they were in, was finally staring to wane.

Nami had a smile on her face, as did Junpei. The two of them walked up to Takato and Koichi. "Thank you, Takato. I owe you for this."

Takato shrugged. "Eh, I'm just helping out wherever I can. Like I said, I took more personality traits from Gallantmon than I did from Megidramon."

Koichi nodded. He had known about both, and he met one Gallantmon before. Takato even _talked_ like him. "Anyway, Takato, if any of the ideas I came up with work out, be sure to let me know. I'd like to see if it was possible. If I were you, I'd just start with Ebony Blast, but that's just me."

Takato nodded. "I'll take that into consideration."

"And Kari, I'd work on the Starlight Blast." Koji added. "Believe me, that's the starting point of everything else with Offensive Light. I'll be able to get here and give some more as I figure them out to the core."

Kari nodded. "Good to know."

Takato took Ms. Asaji and Junpei back to the South Quadrant, Kari took Kenji back to the East, while Koji and Koichi took the rest of the warriors back to the North.

-Kari-

Kari sighed as she laid down on her bed, Gatomon curled up next to her head. _'I wish that my dad would stop worrying so much. Seriously, I've done more dangerous things before, and I came out of them without a scratch. And I did those while holding back.'_

Tai walked into their room, and blinked as he saw her. "Kari? Were you with Takato?"

She nodded. "Apparently, there was a meeting of the Digidestined from the North. One was in the East, and two were in the South."

"Huh. I guess that makes sense. It's too bad that dad doesn't like Takato all that much." Tai sat down in a chair. "I mean, I saw what's in his heart. You know that, right?"

Kari nodded. "Takato helps me in ways you, and everyone else can't. It may be my ties to Magnadramon, but the truth is he keeps me from going insane just as I do for him. The Light isn't easy to control, after all."

Tai nodded. He expected that, after all. "I know. Dad just doesn't want you to be hurt, and, if I know Takato as well as I think I do, he'll never hurt you willingly. He's probably also hard to Hypnotize."

Kari snickered, causing Gatomon to open up an eye. "Tai, Takato's immune to Hypnotism, Mind Control and the like. The reason for that is _me_. Making Light Solidify isn't an easy task, but using it for Misdirection is easy." She held up a hand towards a picture of a Soccer Team holding a trophy, before it shifted and became a pair of Dragons, one Pink, the Other Red, cuddling each other. "Visual Illusions are nothing more than Bending the light around an object or person. Just like that, I can use them to fool an opponent in battle. I've done everything I can to actually get some form of control over his mind. Nothing worked. Even when he wasn't even paying attention, the one time I had any sign of control, that control broke almost immediately. It works on everyone else... I even got TK with it once and he doesn't even remember it."

Tai blinked. "What did you have him do?"

"You remember the one time TK went streaking?" Kari asked, a grin on her face.

Tai's eyes widened in surprise. "That was _you_?!" Kari nodded. "Man... And to think his mother thought he went renegade for a month..."

"Yeah... that was my fault." Kari admitted. "No one asked me about it, because they didn't know I was even there. They didn't ask me, so I didn't say anything."

Tai chuckled. "Kari, you can be pretty devious."

She nodded. "I know."

"Hey, I have a favor to ask."

Kari blinked. "What do you want?"

"I want to know who Sora actually likes, and I have a feeling it isn't me or Matt. Any chance you can find out?"

Kari blinked. "Tai... You know the term that described Sora all those years ago, right?"

"A tomboy, but what's that got to do with anything?"

Kari shook her head. "Did you know that many Tomboys tend to be Lesbians?" Tai paled.

"No... She couldn't be..."

She shrugged. "I'm just saying, Tai. It's possible."

Tai went silent, before he crawled into bed. "Get some sleep Kari. Trust me, you'll need it. I want Takato here tomorrow."

"Why? I'm heading over there Sunday, and you're coming with."

Tai blinked, though she didn't see it. "Huh?"

"Soccer game. He's in a team... You have something to do with that, don't you?"

"No I do not."

"And the deal he mentioned?"

"The deal?" Tai asked. "OH, the Davis matter. No, Soccer isn't a part of it. That's just a goal I gave him."

Kari blinked. "Then why did he bring it up?"

"That came in a year ago." Tai pointed out. "As for the deal... Well, I said you probably wouldn't understand it."

"Try me."

"It's actually a Project I gave him. He gets it done, and proves it works, then I'll follow up on my end." Tai answered.

"What Project?"

"That would be... a Secret." Tai grinned, but Kari sighed. She then probed his mind, before being shut out. "I know what makes him immune to your Mind Techniques now. Pure force of Will. You won't find many as strong as me or him. Our Will burns stronger than the hottest flame. That's what makes me a bearer of the Crest of Courage."

Kari giggled. "So you figured it out, huh?"

"Not that hard when you know the signs... Three Digimon tried on my first trip, and the only one that succeeded was the one that got me to Digivolve Greymon into SkullGreymon. I felt two more, but I kicked them both out before they could do anything. Takato probably does the same."

"Either way, he's pretty much immune to them." Kari continued.

Tai chuckled. "How little you know about us Goggleheads, Kari."

"Come again?"

"You'll understand... if you Marry Takato one day." Tai chuckled. "Good night."

Kari didn't respond. She was too busy thinking. _'Did he just give Takato permission to propose to me? But if he did... Why?'_

Tai was also in thought. _'Kari, you may not know everything about us Goggleheads, but one thing is for certain. You understand the real meaning of what I just said... I just hope Takato gets the message I sent him. Thank you, Shadow.'_

00000x00000

Chapter complete.


	5. Chapter 5

Okay I have been getting more and more ideas by the truckload.

One of them is a DigimonXClaymore Crossover:

Raki, the main human character is really Daisuke/Davis Motomiya and was adopted in the Claymore universe after the Emperor was beaten, but before Armadillomon Digivolves into Ankylomon. After Ophelia tries to strike Raki, he remembers more and more of his past. Veemon shows up, and the two actually train based on information Veemon was given: The Ability of Digisoul, and using it to his advantage.

6 weeks later, he begins his search for Claire, now knowing how to get back to the Digital World.

**Next one: **Legend of DragoonXDigimon Crossover

This one begins with Dart Feld, 28 years old, acting as a Test dummy for Meru, as she was trying to master a Teleportation spell. Dart would be the first human for her to test it on. Things don't go _exactly_ as planned.

Dart ends up in another world, with amnesia. What makes it worse?

He's back to being 5 years old. No clothing, only a Bright Tan stone in his hand: the Divine Dragoon Spirit. Another Ruby Red Stone hanging on a Necklace: the Red Eye Dragoon Spirit. A third stone on a separate Necklace: The Black Burst Dragoon Spirit (Rose). In his other hand, was a Dark Brown Knuckle guard, although it covered most of his forearm.

He gets found and adopted by the Motomiya family, and is extremely protective of the three stones, though he is not sure why. He becomes a Digidestined, and he remembers slowly.

Later on, Rose makes it into the Digital World, back to being 14.

**Next idea:** PJOXDigimon Crossover

This idea is set 4 years after Season 4: Frontier. Perseus Jackson is drawn into the Digital World due to a random call that someone actually calls for him through another's phone. He gets to an Elevator, goes into the Digital World through the Trailmon Station from New York. It wasn't just Shibuya, though. He ends up on the same train as the Season 4 Digidestined, gaining the Spirits of Earth.

4 years later, he meets Grover, knowing that he has major connections to the Earth Element, but having figured out his abilities with Earth and Water, he seeks to control them after he gets back. Now knowing Japanese, English, and Italian, thanks to Izumi(Zoe), he works to get past his Dyslexia, having tamed his ADHD thanks to the Spirits of Earth. Then all the crazy stuff with the PJO series begins, starting with Book.

Major Differences: Percy has the Astral Figures of the Beast and Human Spirits of Earth following him everywhere, so he is never truly alone. He still gets into trouble far too often. The two also shield him from the Monster's Senses, which masks him as a Monster, being part Digimon.

**Another one:** Also PJOXDigimon

This one is more for Season 3, instead of Season 4. Takato, 15 years old, is betrayed by the Tamers, minus Rika who was out of the country at the time, and uses the Digital Portal to escape to the Digital World. Staying there for years, to learn what he needs to, before ending up in America. He builds a small house to live in, and a large Factory into a mountain near his house.

After a year or so, he ends up helping someone from massive Injuries, which also resulted in Amnesia. Who is this person? None other than Artemis, Greek Goddess of the Hunt. She gains her memories back, but sticks around for another month, to see if he was really only trying to help, and for no other reason. After that month, she realizes his intentions are genuine, and decides for one final test: One she gets knocked up for, while he was constantly asking if she was sure.

In short, he passed, 9 months later, he has a daughter, and is told of the Greek Gods' World. A few years later, he meets Rika(Ruki, for you subbers out there) and she moves in, alongside Renamon. Takato, unfazed by the world Artemis told him of, takes it all in stride, knowing that Rika would support him over the others, and had ditched them as well as Ai, Mako, and Impmon.

When the daughter turns twelve, full training in multiple weapons thanks to her father and Guilmon, fighting in general (Renamon and Rika, who married into the family), and constant fighting of Digimon in the digital (Takato has instant access to the Digital World, for the same reason he was ousted from the Tamers) she was far more ready for the World she was born to fight in than her boyfriend. Who is the boyfriend?

None other than Percy Jackson himself.

Those are just a few ideas my mind has visited, but also the only ones that stuck around for more than a few hours.

Let me know what you think?

Okay, time to continue.

**Chapter 5**

It had been a week since the Warrior Digidestined had met in the Dark Ocean. There were a few Digimon passing through every now and then, but nothing truly noteworthy. Although when Rika and Renamon showed up some got a little aggressive.

Takato had also been unable to track the Digimon that he had lost sight of, but he was getting suspicious. Rika had told Takato and Henry how she got Renamon.

This led Takato to believe that most of the Digimon appearing now were the same ones that appeared that day. He also believe there to be more to it than this.

Rumiko Nonaka was still hesitant to let Rika out of her sight because of the Dokugumon Swarm in their backyard, but she managed. What truly convinced her was what happened when an attack missed a Digimon that she watched. What happened next surprised her.

Takato got in the way, held up a hand, and stopped the attack cold, before it dissipated.

The resulting butt kicking was brutal, to say the last. Although how Takato managed to rip off the head of an Allomon with his bare hands was beyond her. Rika was slightly surprised, but after seeing everything else, she just figured it was an ability of the Hazard, and left it at that.

On that Sunday, Takato had a soccer game. He had been busy trying to locate the Unknown Digimon, and hadn't made it to many practices. Those he did, he showed more than he probably should have, including abilities he gained through fighting and the Digital Hazard. The coach was impressed, seeing that Takato had been showing far more progress on his own, and pulled him aside after the game. It ended at 32-1. That one was merely a fluke, due to a screw up that no one had predicted.

"How did you manage those shots, Takato? They're not easy to pull off, nor are they practical, and yet you use them that often?"

"Well, Coach, some of my past required me to learn Martial Arts. You could say I get dragged into a lot of fights, and had to learn in order to survive. It's also one of the reasons I'm able to do this well in a game, while not being able to make some of the practices. Some of these fights interfere, and I know that, should I just walk away, they'll either follow me... or do worse to others. Soccer is a past time for me, that much is true, but I got into it because of my idol. I'm better than he is on some points, but he has more experience than me. As for why I can use them so much... That could be caused by my Martial Arts training, since I learned to amplify my own muscles with a type of Spiritual Energy, that only increased with more training and experience. I'm not entirely sure, though."

"So, you have learned some Martial Arts, eh? How long have you been practicing?"

"6 years, almost. Ever since I was five." Takato shrugged, earning a surprised look from the coach, who then nodded.

"Well then, as long as your skill doesn't suffer from your other... engagements, then you'll only have to make one practice a week. With the skill you showed today, I think I can be somewhat lenient."

Takato nodded his thanks. "I appreciate it. It's not as easy as I make it seem though. I'm constantly pushing myself past my limits. The others on the team can't really say that. It's amazing I can even work through school half the time, considering what I put myself through."

"Well good luck, and take it easy, Matsuki. Next game is last years Champion Team. We'll need someone like you on the team that day."

"Duly noted." Takato walked towards Rika, Kari and Tai before walking out of the area.

The rest of the time, though, Takato had spent either training with Guilmon, fighting off "Wild Ones" as they other Digimon were coined, hanging out with Rika, or dodging Kazu and Kenta's questions with practiced ease.

However, something had shown up on Rika's end.

He was at home when he got the call. "Hello?" He asked.

_Takato, it's Rika._ Her voice held a slight hint of fear, which turned him serious.

"What's wrong?"

_Something's been following me, and Renamon can't sense it when it does. I turn around, and the presence leaves. There's no sign, or trace afterwards. I almost snapped at Renamon because she didn't find anything._

At this point, Takato had come to two conclusions. Number 1: This was a Stealth oriented Digimon, narrowing down the scope of possible culprits. Number 2?

He just figured out what that Mystery Digimon from a week ago had been after: Rika was its target.

"Rika, did it give off any feeling other than you being watched?" Takato asked, in a pure serious voice.

_What do you mean?_

"About a week ago, I found a Virus Type Digimon crossed over. I couldn't get anything else out of the signature before it simply vanished. It's obviously good at Stealth, which narrows down the possible culprits." Mie had heard this, and listened in. "Apparently, it's also highly experienced, as we can assume from the fact that whoever it is, it's been hiding itself highly well, even from my enhanced senses, so it's likely a Champion level, since that's the strongest that can cross over at the moment. The fact that I can't even feel the bursts of Energy when it comes after you directly means that it's good enough to know _not_ to do anything rash. That, and the fact that its target seems to be _you_."

_And you didn't tell anyone, why?_

"Because I couldn't come up with a reason for it to hide, nor could I tell you what it is, much less where. We can't do anything at the moment, so I kept silent." Takato admitted. "I need to know what I can from your end. Maybe I can narrow the scope even further."

He heard a sigh. _It was chilly, for lack of a better word. Almost... evil. Not "I'm going to rape you" evil, but the "I'm going to brainwash you, make you kill your friends, and serve me for all eternity while I rule the world" kind of evil._

This raised alarms in Takato's head. "Was the Chill from the Evil feeling, separate, or both?"

After a moment of silence, she spoke. _Both._

Takato sighed. "I get the feeling that we're dealing with an Ice-Type Virus Digimon. I know of very few that fit everything that I know is possible."

_Hang on, when you said that it seemed to be after me, what made you come to that number? I mean, I know trying to use some kind of move to do the job is one point, but there's something else, isn't there?_

"You're right." Takato said. "There is something else. It's not just the fact that it's trying to grab you from behind. I've had suspicions that several of the Digimon that's crossed over recently are some of those that showed up when you gained Renamon as a partner."

_Wait a minute... you think that this guy is another one of them?_

"Most likely." Takato said.

_Then... let me think on it. I'll call you back when I have a clear picture of what it might be. What ideas did you have already?_

"One of the ideas I have is an IceDevimon, the rest don't fit one or more of the qualities naturally, but that can easily be fixed with practice and experience."

_Okay, I'll try to remember what else was there. Anything else I should know?_

"Have Renamon on a strict lookout for any sign of Digital Energy within a 5 meter radius of your body, and ignore all other emissions. Right now, our priority is taking this one out. It'll be harsh, I'll admit, but necessary for your safety."

_Are you really sure that's necessary?_

"Any information on this guy is helpful at the moment. Right now, he's the biggest threat. Not because of his experience, or even because of his possible strength. It's the fact that he's smart that's the problem. He knows that this isn't something that he can rush. He's after you for a reason. He has more information on us than we do him, and it's very likely that this guy watched all of our battles since he Bioemerged."

_Alright, I'll be careful. I'll also let Renamon know._

"Good. I'd hate to lose a friend, especially one as Misunderstood as you are, Rika. And don't say I don't know the feeling, because _every_ Megidramon and Gallantmon have felt it, simply because of the power they hold. Remember that."

_Alright. Bye._ She hung up then and there, and Takato looked at his mother.

"What's wrong?"

"A Digimon is trying to take Rika for some reason. As to why, I have a few ideas, but none of them are Concrete." Takato answered.

"Alright, but are you sure she'll be okay?"

"She's strong, mom. I know she is. Whoever it is probably wants to separate Rika from Renamon, which makes no sense to me." Takato took a thoughtful look. "I just can't think of a reason for whoever it is to separate. I'm missing something, and that something is important."

"Well, you should get some sleep. It's getting late." Mie pointed out.

Takato sighed, and nodded. "Alright, mom. I don't think it'll be that good, though." He took a shower, and got into bed. For some reason, he passed out immediately.

-Takato's Dream-

Takato found himself floating in a cave made entirely of Ice. _'What the... Where am I?'_ He felt the chill, and knew that it was the area. As he looked around, he saw several Digimon, but none of them were moving.

In fact, all of them were frozen solid. He recognized a few on the spot, but others took a bit. However, one wasn't frozen, and this one he recognized _immediately_.

"It is only a matter of time, my dear girl. You will become my partner. Even if I must delete that fox to do it." The figure stated, merely looking around.

_'No... So THAT'S what he's after!'_ Takato thought. _'But then why separate them? It still doesn't... wait...'_

It hit him then. _'Getting Rika away from Renamon is one thing, but it's only a part of this idiot's plan. What he wants is Rika, and he's willing to get rid of Renamon to do it. In order to get rid of Renamon, he must remove the Tamer factor. Holding Rika hostage while deleting Renamon is the perfect setup! Shit!'_

-End Dream-

Takato woke up, and it was morning. He got ready extremely quickly, said goodbye, got to the park, called Guilmon, and then went towards wherever he could feel Renamon. He knew that Rika would be nearby. Takato saw Renamon, who was now frantic. "Renamon, what happened?"

"Something took Rika. I only got a glimpse of it, and couldn't detect any energy Emission whatsoever." Renamon explained.

"It's an IceDevimon." Takato explained. "We have to hurry. He wants to replace you as her partner."

"_Takato? Takato, can you hear me?"_ He heard Rika's voice.

_'Rika! What's going on? Where are you?'_ Takato asked.

"_I don't know. I'm pretty much unconscious right now. I can only feel something cold. It's the same thing that's been trying to kidnap me all this time. I don't know what's going on with Renamon, but she's not to blame. I felt it, then blacked out."_

Takato sighed. _'At least you're alive. Wait... I can sense you. Hang on! Guilmon, Renamon and I are coming! Try to hang on until we do, should only take a few seconds top speed.'_

"Renamon, let's go. I have a lock on her." Takato ran off, Guilmon right next to him, the two having a red blur trail behind them. Renamon stuck to the rooftops and followed the blur. When they all saw part of a building frozen solid, Takato knew. _'there you are, ya bastard!'_ He jumped, the blur following his movements, before he bust through the side of the building. Guilmon followed him through the hole, Renamon following suit soon after.

The three saw Rika being held by an IceDevimon, Rika still unconscious. "Ah, if it isn't the little fox. You're early." The fallen Angel Digimon stated with a cool and calm voice. "Although I didn't see you bringing backup. At least not so quickly."

Takato stared at him. Then glanced at the area. "So... this really the place."

Renamon glanced at him. "Takato..."

"I went looking for you, knowing Rika would be nearby. I had to tell her what I had figured out the moment I woke up." Takato looked at IceDevimon. "Unfortunately, I got to you too late. So... Guilmon?"

"I'm on it, Takato."

"A mere Rookie has no chance of beating me. Tundra Freeze!" his wings spread out releasing a cold wind... and Guilmon went straight through it unharmed. This surprised Icedevimon to the point that Guilmon managed a single hit to get Rika out of his arms, Takato appearing right there, grabbing her and reappearing near one of the Ice Prisons. "Guilmon! Show no mercy!"

"Understood!" Guilmon's eyes went slit, before he opened his mouth. "Pyro Sphere!" The single strike, fueled by Takato's rage, hit Icedevimon in the chest, and sent him reeling into the ceiling.

"Renamon, if you will?" Takato suggested.

"With pleasure." Renamon jumped at the form, her paws on fire. "Power Paw!" One hit and she had eliminated the Digimon, and the Ice vanished. Everyone inside of it, aside from both tamers and their partners, had gone with it.

Rika opened her eyes shortly afterwards. "You okay, Rika?" Takato asked.

"Huh? What happened?"

"Guilmon tore off one of Icedevimon's arms, I got you away from hit, Guilmon shot him into the ceiling, Renamon finished him off." Takato explained.

"Oh... Renamon?" Rika looked around.

"Rika." A paw rested on Rika's shoulder, causing her to look. "I am sorry. I failed you."

"You didn't fail me, Renamon." Rika retorted, her voice still slightly weak. "I didn't feel it until it already grabbed me."

Takato helped her out of the area, Renamon back to observing, to make she was okay. Takato had helped her down some stairs, and to the park.

When he got there, he saw Kazu and Kenta nearby. "Chumley! What happened?"

"Icedevimon happened. He took her, and I nearly had Guilmon go Berserk." Takato explained. "I kept myself in check, but I'll have to get with Kari before I truly let loose. She's the only one that can handle it."

"I can walk by myself now, Takato." Rika pointed out. "At the very least, I can feel my own legs."

He took her arm from his shoulder, and she stood up. She was a little shaky, but she managed. After a few wobbly steps, during which Takato was ready to help her at a moment's notice, she was able to walk properly. "I still owe you for that. I don't think Renamon would've found me that quickly. I mean, I was out of it throughout the entire fight... if it can be called that." She continued.

Takato shook his head. "No, that wasn't a fight. That was a grudge match. He took a friend of mine, he paid the price. He's also lucky I didn't use _that_ on him."

Rika thought about it, and nodded, seeing that he meant the Morphing Ability he had. He didn't want that out. "That, or use the Omnimon Card I... liberated from Kari's brother."

"Wait, what? How did you manage that?" Rika questioned.

"Data is a powerful friend to those that know what to do." Takato explained. "And I most certainly know what to do, and _how_ to do it."

Takato then felt another presence. He also knew who it was. "Still, I got to admit the guy could've done a lot worse... if he expected me to pull out a few of my full tricks, that is. Seriously, he did _not_ see that Power Pow coming."

"I gather that much." Kazu said, looking straight at Takato, before realizing something. "Okay, what's wrong?"

Takato turned his head. "What don't you come out of the bushes, Agent-san. You can't sneak up on me, you know?"

The blonde agent walked into the area. "You are playing suicide."

Takato looked at him directly. "You're one to talk. You've been playing with fire ever since you started following me two weeks ago." This was news to Kazu and Kenta, less so to Rika. "Of course, that's nothing compared to what I'd unleash, considering I have power over the strongest Virus of all time."

The blonde man tensed. "You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into."

"Actually, I know more than _you_ do. Should you continue on your path, then you will bring down the Earth yourself. You have much to learn about the ways of the world. You never send a man to do a kid's job. This job is meant for Kids, and kids are brought into it for a damn good reason. If you can't accept that, it's your own problem. But when you screw up, and weaken the barrier between the worlds even further with that secret Program you're developing, don't blame me. You underestimate your opponent. You know _nothing_ of your opponent. Your loss is assured, until you learn that not everything is as it seems." He looked at Rika. "You should get going. I'd rather you not tell your Grandmother what you just went through. Even after the swarm she witnessed, what _he_ did is not a good thing. He's smarter than one would think."

"I still don't get how you knew what happened before it did."

Takato tapped the goggles on his head. "It's a gogglehead thing. You wouldn't understand."

Rika shook her head. "Fine. I'll get home... but if my mother is there, I give no guarantees."

"If she asks, just tell her I had your back, like I promised I would. Just tell her I was ready to go Beast for that. She should understand. If not, you do, and can explain it to her."

Rika nodded, and walked off. "Thanks... gogglehead." She smirked as she walked off. Takato turned to the Agent, and stared him in the eye. "I told you this last time, and I'll say it again. Don't mess with powers beyond your comprehension." His voice was cold, and his eyes flashed red, which he caught. Takato then walked off, before dodging three darts. "You're playing a dangerous game, Agent-san."

Takato vanished, and three men flew out of a perfect hiding place, unconscious. "I have faced stronger, better, faster and more powerful than you can imagine." Takato said, standing on a part of the playground, not even looking at anyone else. "Although, considering your straight-laced mind, and lack of flexibility, that may not be much of an example." Takato vanished in a flash of red.

The Agent growled. He seemed to forget that Kazu and Kenta were there, as he walked off. He stopped nearby, only to look at where the other two kids were, only to find that they weren't there.

-Back at the Tool Shed-

Kazu and Kenta just got to the top of the stairs. They saw Takato leaning on the gate. "About time you made it."

Kazu and Kenta were panting. "So that was the Agent you warned us about, huh?"

Takato nodded. "He is. The guy works for an organization that's out to destroy all Digimon. To make this world Digimon free. I can understand why he'd want that, but he's planning to take it one step further: Destruction of the Digital World."

"What?!" Kazu nearly shouted in surprise.

"But how?!"

"I don't know how. I just know that he's planning to make sure that Digimon have no way here, and if he can't, he'll do everything he can to get rid of _their_ home." Takato sighs. "He doesn't even realize the futility of the effort."

"The what?" Kazu asked, confused.

"It's impossible to destroy the Digital World. He wants to protect this world, but the fact remains that, should he destroy the Digital World, he'll destroy _this one_ with it, and then the Digital World will be reborn, while this one will not. At most, he can only get rid of about 10% of the Digital World before this world will be affected. 30% and this world will lose any and all Internet Communications."

"You mean we lose the Digital World, we lose the Internet?" Kenta asked, earning a nod.

"Internet, Cell phones, Power Grids, everything will suffer. Long story short, getting rid of the Digital World will send our entire world about 500 years back in time. If he knew _half _of the stuff I know, then he'd realize that he's only hurting himself by doing what he is."

"Well, if we told him, what do you think he'd do?"

"The same thing he did today. Call me a liar, and a naïve kid. He thinks that I think of this as a game. I don't. I know the truth. I know more about the Digital World than any other human in this world. The reason lies in how Guilmon came to life."

"And why is that relevant?"

Takato shook his head. "That's not something you need to know. It's also something I'm not going to explain unless absolutely necessary."

"And why not?" Kenta questioned.

Takato walked off. "You simply wouldn't understand unless you've been there, and I _know_ neither of you have. You wouldn't have been so impressed by Guilmon's existence if you had." The moment he left eye sight he was already gone.

-2 days later-

Takato was walking through the park, Kari and Tai right next to him. He had just finished a soccer game, and scored the first 20 goals, which Tai applauded. Takato was only slightly winded. Fighting Wild Ones was a lot tougher and exhausting than a soccer game. "Man, Soccer has gotten easy fast." Takato commented.

"That's what you get when you're fighting those Wild Digimon on your own." Tai stated.

"The fact that you use the Hazard to enhance your body has nothing to do with it?" Kari pointed out.

Takato gripped his chest in mock pain. "Kari, you wound me."

Kari giggled. "You know you love it."

Takato return the smile she gave him. "And you know it too." He looked at Tai. "So, how's Agumon doing?"

"Pretty good. We work every weekend in the mountains near our home. Gone on Friday, home on Sunday morning. Just got him back to WarGreymon, at that." Tai answered. "I really got to thank you for getting him back for me, though. So, what about Guilmon?"

"Well, I'm just waiting for the right time for Champion to show up." Takato looked ahead. "He's got the power and experience. All he needs is a reason to do so." He then noticed someone walking towards him. "Great... He's back."

Kari and Tai looked ahead and saw the Agent. "Mr. Matsuki, come with me."

"Hey, Mr. Matsuki is my _father_. Name's Takato." Takato replied with a straight face.

The Agent gritted his teeth. "I only wish to talk... this time. Your friends have nothing to do with this."

Takato stared into his eyes. "This is about the Digital World. They've both been involved for years already. I know more than Tai, but Kari knows the same as me. Maybe a little more. They know the consequences if it gets out."

The Agent blinked behind his sunglasses. _'So, he hangs out with others like him. Figures.'_

"However, we talk in a place of my choosing. I can tell you want information. This way." Takato turned to a deeper part of the park, Tai, Kari, and the Agent following him. They reached a clearing that was far from prying eyes. "We'll be safe from prying eyes and ears here. If you have any questions, I'll answer them as best I can, if I can. I have my own superiors, and he still doesn't want things out. Remember that."

The Agent looked at Takato. "Why waste your time defending Vicious Monsters?"

Takato sighed as he leaned on a nearby tree. "You don't understand the complexity behind Digimon. I get that part. But to call them vicious monsters, and group the entire world because of the actions of a few?" He shook his head. "At the moment, you know nothing of Digimon, though, so can't say I'm surprised. You're acting the same as any other ignorant human."

"Explain."

"When I said Digimon are the Humans of the Digital World, I meant that literally." Takato pointed out. "They may not look like humans in many cases, however it's what you never see that makes them so similar. They have personalities, they have feelings. Their bodies are made out of data, sure, but when we go into the Digital World, or any equivalent of one, _our_ bodies turn into Data. I know the difference, because I've _felt_ it. I've _lived_ it. Tai may not be able to tell the difference, but Kari and I most certainly can. It's the same when it comes to Digimon crossing over into this world. Their bodies are converted from Data into DNA. A Digital Field is a cross between the two. You haven't seen what I have. You haven't _felt_ what I have."

"And their destructive tendencies?"

"Like us, they fear what they don't know. For humans, it can take years for that fear to turn into violence. For Digimon, it could take anywhere from seconds to never." Kari answered. "Some want to control the Digital World, but even _they_ don't realize the effects on this one."

"What kind of effects?" The Agent didn't like trusting kids with dangerous tasks, but he knew that _they_ knew more than him.

"What most don't know is the fact that the Digital World is split into many different Sectors, each rules by a single Digimon, or a set of Digimon." Tai answered. "To destroy the Digital World would mean destroying all sectors, and their guardians. Their leader sometimes act as guardians, other times they act as rulers, but rarely is one both."

That was new information for him. "And how do you know this?"

"I've been in two of them." Tai answered.

"I've been in three." Kari added.

"5 of them, here." Takato pointed out.

"Five?" Kari looked at him in confusion.

"Misplaced Teleportation." Takato admitted. "How I ended up in a Lilithmon's castle, I still have no idea... much less how I got away from her without her following me."

"Do I even want to know?" Tai questioned.

"Probably not." Takato shook his head. "Anyway, the reason Tai brought that up, before you ask about the relevance, is because Each Sector chooses their own Guardians, either by traits, their hearts, or their personalities. More often than not, though, kids and teenagers are chosen. You're probably wondering why kids are chosen."

The Agent nodded. Why send kids into something like that? "Well," Tai continued. "It's because the Guardians aren't Omnipotent. No sentient life form is. Not even the Digital Gods are. They're also not the strongest out there."

Kari nodded at that. "Many children are chosen because they can handle it mentally... maybe not emotionally, or even physically, but its their naivety, their innocence, that allows them to believe they may actually have a chance. Many adults have given up one or the other, sometimes both. That belief is what gives them the strength to combat any evil Digimon, or any threat to Digimon."

"However, there are some that are chosen for different reasons." Takato pointed out. "Kari and I are perfect examples." Seeing the confused look on the Agent's face, regardless of the sunglasses, Takato elaborated. "Unlike most, who are chosen long before they start getting physically involved, like Tai was, Kari and I were born with a connection to the Digital World. Years later, when Tai was initially chosen, is when Kari was found as a possible applicant for the "Digidestined" as they're called. In reality, she's much more. What they really did was unlock her full abilities."

"Of course, I didn't realize that for almost a year." Kari pointed out. "Seriously, if not for the fact that you and I got together in the Dark Ocean all those years ago, I probably wouldn't have found out about my true connection."

Tai nodded. "Gennai calls you the Child of Light, but he has no idea."

Takato nodded. "No kidding. So, did you manage to ask him about the Guardian of the Digital Hazard?"

"No, but I did ask Izzy about Megidramon and Magnadramon." Tai admitted. "Not much information on Megidramon, though. Any idea why?"

"I'd blame the Sovereigns, but that's just me." Takato shrugged. "Anyway, I discovered my own connection at the same time as her. The reason I found out was because of a Divermon that tried to attack us. I took it out on my own, which is still a fuzzy memory, but was exhausted because of it. Kari managed to wear off the Exhaustion somehow, though."

Kari nodded. "It was an Adrenaline high, Takato. At the time, I didn't even know what I was doing. I just did it."

"Either way, we trained with someone that knew some of what our abilities were, and learned much more about ourselves with his help then we ever would without it." Takato continued.

"So... these abilities... Can they be replicated?"

Takato shook his head. "I can say with utmost certainty that mine cannot. To remove it from me would kill me, if you even manage to figure out how to pull that off, and to implant it into another body will kill the recipient. Period."

"Wait, what?" Tai asked, confused. "When was this?"

"Oh, about 6 or so hosts ago." Takato replied with complete nonchalance. "Some governmental idiots thought that they could harness it. After 3 years of trying to replicate it, and implant it into their soldiers, they gave up on it, and tried to extract it. That triggered a reaction and released a force of destruction we haven't seen since, or even before. At least he thought it was 3 years. Could've been longer, or shorter. Living in an Isolated area like he did during that time tends to distort your sense of time."

Kari shook her head. "Mine may be replicated, but not with the same methods, or source of energy. Some call what I use "Ki" or pure Spiritual Energy. Most would never reach the level I'm at Naturally, even with 60 years of dedicated training, but they can replicate some of the lower end of what I can use. It wouldn't be worth it for any Military to train one to use it, because they would need to be dedicated to the art, not the military they would work for."

The Agent nodded, understanding what she meant there. He was right, though he loathed to admit it. These kids knew far more than he did. "Any chance I could hire you as undercover Field Agents?"

This caused confusion between the three. "Allow me to explain. I'm not as stupid as you may think. I've seen your progress, and found your track records. Takato Matsuki, you have near perfect scores in all subjects, though Teachers report you as Lazy and a sleeper in class, being much more active in Physical Exercises and subjects. Being a part of a Soccer Team, The Hazard Emperor in most card game circles, The Hurricane in Track Circles, The Typhoon, recognized by even the Pro Soccer Teams, and even the fact that no one knows where you get your abilities. However, your records against the Wild Digimon are even more impressive. Able to fight Digimon on your own, without the help of your own Digimon, and not even be winded is a feat many soldiers cannot claim."

He turned to Kari. "Hikari Kamiya, age 11, Partner to Gatomon, registered to Odaiba Middle School. Mostly A's in all classes, minus History, which tends to hover around B's. Physical Ability far beyond average, though somewhat lazy at times. Excellent Fencer, and all around Charity Worker. One would think you to be a pacifist, unwilling to hurt anyone. However, you deal with Wild Ones as if they were nothing more than cannon fodder, so to speak."

He looked at Tai. "Taichi Kamiya, Age 16, Partner to Agumon, Registered to Odaiba High School. C-B Average, with Math being lowest subject. Decent Soccer Player, with extreme athletic Potential. No records of facing down Wild Ones, however, proven just as capable as these two."

Takato looked slightly surprised, before his eyes narrowed. "How did you get that information on Tai?"

Yamaki stared at him. "I figured you'd have known their records are accessible to any government official."

Kari shook her head. "No, we weren't expecting for Tai to have a profile that you can check. Me and Takato, yes. But not Tai."

"Huh? Why not?" Tai asked, confused.

"Tai, unlike Kari and I, you're not a link." Takato explained. "You have a connection, but you're not a Link."

"Explain." The Agent stated.

Takato shook his head. "I'd actually have to ask why myself. But long story short, Links have their profiles in multiple versions of our World. Those with a connection, but aren't Links, don't. Those with a connection can only travel between their Reality and the Digital World's Sector connected to said Reality. Links can travel to Any Sector of the Digital World, and any Real World tied to the Digital World, even if the Reality isn't aware of the Digital World."

The Agent was surprised at this information. "Are you telling me that these two are tied to a Different Reality?"

Takato nodded. "Kari is the link to that particular Reality, and I'm the Link to this one."

The Agent digested this information. "That doesn't explain how I have a profile, though."

"It also doesn't explain how your parents, Susumu and Yuuko Kamiya have one as well."

Takato wasn't expecting this, but then closed his eyes in thought. His face scrunched up for a few moments, before they snapped open. "Koichi Kimura. Do you know of any records regarding him? Him and his mother."

"What does Koichi have to do with this?" Kari asked, confused.

"He visited yesterday, and so did his mother, but not the others in his team." Takato explained. "Unless I'm mistaken, the ones that appeared in this Reality have their profiles transferred to this reality as well. If that's the case, it would explain why Tai has one, and so does your parents, even though your parents have only been here once."

The Agent was silent, as they took a few ideas for the next few minutes. He wasn't really sure what was false, and what was true, but, unlike his superiors, he knew what he was doing.

Right now, he needed information. Information he can't find any other way.

The three sighed. "Yeah, we'll have to talk to Shadow about this. If for no reason other than we can't think of an actual reason, we still need to know what's going on." Kari stated.

Tai and Takato nodded. "Anyway, about your offer. What's in it for us?"

"Full pay, based on how much comes through, and what they are. I'm also willing to make sure your tracks are covered, as long as you have my back."

"So, it's a give and take." Takato realized. "You cover our backs if we need it, add in cover stories if needed, and we cover your back if you screw something up, or make a mistake. You scratch our back, we scratch yours. That about cover it?"

"That would be correct."

"I only have one stipulation." Takato said. "Kari and Tai aren't always in this reality. There are other Chosen in this one that I tend to team up with. Include them, and let us do things our way. We won't follow your rules and regulations. We follow our own rulebook. Grant us that, and I'm in. My parents are in the loop about my abilities, mainly so they know I can handle it, one of the others had their family find out recently, though their mother isn't exactly accepting of it just yet. The other family is not even aware of the current events, to my knowledge."

"So, there are three aligned to this world, I take it?"

"For the moment, yes. I'd imagine at least 3 others to show one of these days. Most likely in the near future." Takato replied. "Three chosen is not enough. Especially if the threat is as bad as I'm being told. I don't have a name, and neither does my superior, but we both know its bad. Even if he only goes by his gut and instincts, I _know_ he's been telling the truth on the threat level. He predicted trouble in the East Quadrant, same with the North Quadrant, and both of them went through a threat on the same level he said they would."

Kari nodded. "He told me of a threat to the East Quadrant 5 months before the chosen were taken up. When everyone else was taken up, it was what he had thought: Dark Masters, and their boss. He hasn't been wrong yet."

"He hasn't steered us wrong yet, either." Takato added.

The man sighed. "If you find out what this threat is, let me know. I'll have accounts made for you, and transfer the pay as needed."

Takato shook his head. "Kari and I already have accounts, one of the other chosen has one as well. The last one, I'm not sure. I'd have to ask."

"Didn't find one." The man said.

"Mine is under Hazard."

"Light, here." Kari commented.

"The other one has the Moniker 'Senkai'. Don't ask why, but it does." Takato shrugged. "Is that all?"

The Agent nodded and turned away. "I am Yamaki Mitsuo. I'll be contacting you later, Mr. Matsuki. Be sure to let the others know. So long as Digimon don't go public, neither will your connection with me or my organization."

He walked off, leaving the three Teenagers to stare. Once he was out of earshot, Takato spoke. "I don't trust him."

"Neither do I, but he does have something we don't." Tai pointed out.

Kari shook her head. "There's a point to what Takato's saying, Tai. I know there is."

"Kari, you're only half right. I don't trust him, yes. But Tai also pointed out why I accepted. He has the resources we don't. At the same time, we have things he'll never be able to access, and can cover up his screw ups." Takato stated. "He has his goals, and we have ours. For now, they are on the same path, but later on they might not. I'm staying on my toes with that one."

Kari and Tai nodded. Takato pulled out a Cell Phone, a Matte Black Motorola RAZR to be exact. He dialed a number, noticing the stare Tai was sending him. "What? It was a gift from Shadow-sensei. Tenth Birthday."

Kari pulled out a Light Purple LG XENON GR500. It had the Crest of Light on the Back in a Dark Pink. "My Gift from Shadow-sensei. The number is Different depending on the Quadrant we're in, though. Takato has both numbers, and uses the one for the Quadrant we're in. Same with him."

"Does mom know?" Tai asked.

"If she does, she hasn't said anything." Kari stated. "Although, the fact that she's still trying to get over the fact that I can transform into Ophanimon and Magnadramon is probably a good indication of that being a 'No'."

Takato started the call. As the receiver picked up, he spoke up. "Excuse me, is Rika there?"

_Takato?_

"Speaking."

_Ah, yes. Rika, It's Takato._ After a bit of shuffling, Seiko had gotten off the phone, and Rika spoke. _What's up?_

"I made a deal with Hypnos." Takato said, before explaining the deal. "I also gave him the Moniker for your Bank Account."

_Didn't you ask how we're getting paid?_

Takato blinked a few times. "I didn't get the rates. I just know that it's based on Level and Number. Mostly Species. But I'd stay on guard, just in case."

_You're right. We don't need to worry our parents more than we already do._

"Kari's father is worrying himself to death because of the Morphing Ability." Takato pointed out.

_Not our problem. If he can't accept that she has to do this, then it's his fault._

"Well, for some reason, he's more vocal about it than her mother." Takato said, looking at Kari. "And none of us have any idea why."

_Good luck with that. Anyway, my mother offered me a deal. Next Saturday, she's going to take me to a Photo Shoot. I was about to refuse it at that, but she told me to let her finish. I did, and, well, I was a little surprised._

"Okay, what happened?"

_One Photo Shoot every two months, and she won't complain unless I actually get injured._

"Does she know that you can have Renamon heal you with an Energy Transfer Modify Card?"

_She can do that?_

Kari and Tai were surprised as well. "Yeah, I had Guilmon do it once. I used a Viral Restore Modify Card, and then an Energy Transfer and had him transfer it to me. Seriously, it healed the three broken ribs I had, and all 29 cuts... not to mention the gash I had on my back while I was being careless. Mom couldn't even tell the difference. It's that same battle that made me keep Aegis on my back at all times. One moment of Stupidity is all it takes to nearly die, and learn at least 10 lessons."

Tai sweatdropped. "Not even I was that stupid."

Kari tapped his shoulder and shook her head. "You were before the Digital World."

_Oh... Ouch._

"Tell me something I don't know. At least my mom didn't see that one. Seriously, she'd have freaked out if she saw it. I walked away from it unharmed, but the fact remains that it happened and I learned from it. Oh, and just so it doesn't happen to you, when you face off with at least 4 Musyamon and a Yasyamon, keep your distance at all times, and watch their swords. If they glow, find the path they swing, picture a line along that path. Stay _away_ from that line."

… _Speaking from experience?_

"Unfortunately, yes."

_I got it. Be careful with the Samurai Digimon, watch their swords, and keep away from them. That about cover it?_

"In a nutshell. So, are you going for the deal?"

_Yeah. No complaining from my mother, Grandma already accepts it, even though she doesn't like it, she knows that I have to do it. I took it, but I want you or Kari to be there each time, if you can._

Takato looked at Kari and explained the situation. She thought about it and nodded. "I'm in. If I'm here, I'll be there."

"She's in. If she can't make it, I'll be there." Takato told Rika.

_Thanks... Oh, and I added a condition of my own._

"Is it something that may harm my chances of fighting?"

_Dunno. But I do know this: Your Title as "Best in your School" is going to have a challenger in two weeks._ Rika said. Takato knew that she was smirking.

Takato also figured out what she meant. "You're transferring?"

_The paperwork will be finalized after the first Photo Shoot. From there it's permanent. I'm going into a Public School. My point for that was I would with the other two known Tamers, so if I actually need help, which isn't likely, one of you would actually be there much more quickly._

"Good argument." Takato admitted. "So, expect you at Odaiba Elementary in two weeks?"

_One favor? Don't tell the others. I want it to be a surprise._

"I have a policy for that: Don't ask, don't tell. It works that way. Besides, it's not like they'll know that I know. Unless Renamon tells them, not likely, then it wouldn't happen."

_And Guilmon?_

"He's not even here right now. He stays with Shadow-sensei most of the time. Golddramon knows what those two do over in the Dark Ocean." Takato sighed. "Talk to you later, Rika. Oh, and be prepared for Yamaki to visit you. Good luck."

Rika hung up, causing Takato to put away his phone. "Okay, guys. Who's up for lunch?"

Tai and Kari nodded, and they all walked out of the area.

-elsewhere-

A Digital Field appeared in the middle of a Construction site. Right outside the site, we find a Blue haired male with a Terriermon on his shoulder. "You have any idea what it is from here, Terriermon?" The boy asked.

"Not much of one. I just hope it isn't Gorillamon again." Terriermon stated.

The two went in, Henry putting sunglasses on, only to take them off after he was already in. "Power Lifter!" An I-Beam went at them both, causing them both to jump to the side.

"And of course, it's a Gorillamon." The male said.

"Momentai, Henry." Terriermon retorted. "Just use the new card. I can control it now, and you know it."

The male, Henry, nodded. "Alright. Digimodify! Digivolution Activate!" He swiped a card, and Terriermon was covered in a cocoon of Green Light.

"Terriermon Digivolve too... Gargomon!"

Gargomon stared at Gorillamon. "Guess what Gorillamon?"

"You die! Energy Cannon!"

Gargomon dodged to the side. "Man, talk about lousy aim. What? Did you get worse since the last time we fought?"

Gorillamon growled before lifting his arm cannon up. "Not so fast! Gargo Laser!" Gargomon fired multiple blasts into the cannon as it was being aimed. This caused the entire arm to burst into Red Data Particles. Gorillamon howled in pain, not allowing anything else to be heard, before Gargomon landed an Uppercut to Gorillamon's head. "Bunny Pummel!" The strike finished off the Gorillamon, turning him into the Data Particles.

Gargomon looked at Henry. "So, how'd I do?"

Henry looked at him, surprised that he's not running rampant. "You really are in control..." He whispered.

"I told ya I could handle it!" Gargomon crossed his arms.

"One question."

"Okay, Shoot."

"How do we get you back to Rookie level?" Henry asked.

After a moment of silence, Gargomon had a screen on his right arm gun, as he looked at it. Henry blinked. "What's that?"

"Oh, it's just something Takato installed for the Champion and Ultimate levels. Dunno why for Ultimate, though. Not sure which one I'd go into. Let's see here... Oh, here it is! Okay, to turn into a lower level, the Human Partner has to absorb the energy through the link created by the bond between the Digimon and Human."

Henry looked at the screen. "When did he do this?"

"About a month ago." Gargomon stated. "He forced me to Champion level, and then paralyzed me just to install it. Any Cyborg type Evolution I have will have it in there. Don't have it in Rookie level, though."

"Okay... why?"

"Beats me. I just went with it... Oh, there's the stuff on the Bonds." After a bit of reading on both parts, Henry took his Digivice and focused on it. Gargomon glowed, and turned back into Terriermon. "Wow... that felt like I was being pulled out of a bottle!"

"Terriermon..."

"Momentai!" Terriermon went back to his shoulder.

"Then why am I feeling hyper?" Henry asked.

"Probably because you took enough energy from me to nearly put me at In-Training. I stopped you before that could happen, though." Terriermon was exhausted, but it didn't really show.

"We're really going to have to talk to Takato about this. He might know a way to edge off the Extra Energy."

"Who knows?" Terriermon said as they walked away from the battlefield.

-with Takato-

Takato, Kari and Tai were having lunch at a Pizza restaurant. "So, how much do you want to bet that Henry is going to freak out when he finds out I made a deal with Hypnos?" Takato asked.

"No bet." Tai said.

"Same. I know not to bet against you, Takato." Kari added. "What about Sora's reaction to Tai training Agumon all these years?"

"No bet. She's going to freak out, and then get pissed off that he didn't tell her." Takato said, his face calm, as he took a drink. "That's a guarantee."

Tai nodded. "I'm dreading it, I'll admit. Still, I'm able to take a headbutt from Greymon now. It'll hurt, but at least I'll be conscious."

"Hey Tai?" Takato started, earning his attention. "If you can handle a direct hit from Greymon's head, do you think you can handle a 5% punch from me?"

"I'm pretty sure I could." Tai grinned.

"Tai?" Kari asked. "You do realize that, at 10% he can delete a Monochromon in three hits, right?"

"Yeah." Tai said, with confidence.

"You sure you can handle 5%?"

"If 10% takes three hits on the underbelly of a Monochromon I can handle one of those." Tai said. "5% if its the Shell." He then grinned at Kari. "Let's just say I learned a thing or two about Digisoul while training Agumon. I can manage a Pepper Breath, but I'm out of breath afterwards."

"Guilmon's Pyro Sphere in my hands, 60 times before I feel any strain." Takato admitted. "Pyro Blaster is capped off at 24, though. Breathing rights. Learn to use each breath you take to the utmost. If you can hold your breath underwater for 35 minutes straight with one breath of air, you'll be able to handle it. The more you can get out of each breath, the better off you'll be. Works in Soccer too."

Kari nodded. "Breath Control is a needed skill for any sport, and then some. Singing, most musical instruments, Sports, you name it."

Tai blinked. "Really? How is it useful in soccer?"

Takato held up a finger. "Tai, you saw how I kept going, even while my team was panting at half time, yet I wasn't even winded?" Tai blinked, and nodded, not getting it. "My skill at controlling my breath is the reason why. I make each breath count. Each and every time."

Kari nodded. She had come to the same conclusion. Tai was obviously impressed. "Nice tip. I'll have to work on it."

Takato nodded. "Good idea. By the way, I was thinking of adding gloves to my normal outfit."

Tai blinked, before shaking his head with a smile. "Trying to copy me to the utmost, eh?"

"Eh, somewhat. Different designs, but still similar. You _are_ a brother to me, you know?"

Kari shook her head with a smile. "Takato..."

"Hmm... Fingerless gloves. Trust me, it'll be different enough."

"Steel Knuckle studs?"

"Might help." Tai shrugged.

"Make them Crimson Knuckle studs." Kari suggested.

Takato looked at her. "Digi-Knuckle studs?"

Kari nodded. "Good idea."

Takato then pulled out a notepad, and started drawing. Kari looked at it over his shoulder, and hummed as he continued to draw at an impressive pace. "You've gotten better."

"Thanks, Kari. I've been working on it whenever I can." Takato said, earning Tai's attention. "Didn't think you'd have enough time to get this good."

"It's a release for me. Helps keep me calm. By putting my emotions into a drawing, I'm helping control them. Giving a save relief when I couldn't do anything else. Besides, if I've wanted to make sure each Digimon of Guilmon's line accurately, I'd have to be pretty damn good. Besides, I'm still trying to work out Guilmon's Dark Evolutions. Black Guilmon, BlackGrowlmon, BlackWarGrowlmon, and Megidramon. They both have the same In-training and Fresh levels. I also distinctively remember a Particular X-Virus, and several X-Antibody Digimon versions. Still working on the differences for some of them. I distinctly remember the Original Megidramon absorbing several different X-Antibody Digimon. Besides, Alphamon naturally has it, and he's a Royal Knight."

"X-virus? X-Antibody Digimon?" Tai was confused.

Takato and Kari nodded. She spoke first. "The X-Virus was something made to target Digimon. It's similar to the Digital Hazard is nature, but much easier to control. I don't know the full details of it, though. I just know that any X-Antibody Digimon is naturally immune to it."

"Seriously?" Tai asked, surprised. "it's that dangerous?"

Takato nodded. "It gets worse. The X-Virus was used by a being known as Yggdrasil, or King Drasil. The Original Royal Knight Digimon followed him, but the Original Gallantmon, which held a part of the Digital Hazard was naturally immune, without having the X-Antibody. He, Alphamon, and Omnimon all worked together back then, after questioning the motives of Yggdrasil. I've actually been trying to recreate each of the X-Digimon and their other forms."

"Wouldn't they just be the same as usual?" Tai asked, not getting it. "I mean, one change shouldn't change much."

Takato shook his head. "Tai, are you aware of something known as the 'Butterfly Effect'?"

Tai thought for a moment. "I heard about it once, but don't know what it means."

Kari thought about why he brought it up, when she realized it. "That's normally used with Time Travel as an example. One change in the past could kill thousands if you go back 10 years. Millions if you go back 30, and then some. One change in the past can effectively rewrite an entire History book, and shift the power of the world from one point to the exact opposite."

Tai blinked. "What's that got to do with this?"

"By adding one extra piece to the puzzle, you make an entirely difference picture." Takato pointed out. "The same applies here. The X-Antibody shifts the Digicore, and thus, the entire body changes. That's why I have to account for each change I can remember. Not much difference in Attacks, in most cases, but otherwise, it's mostly the shape and form that change."

Tai blinked, before he pictured it. "I get it, I think."

Takato shrugged as he continued. "Eh, I'm not worried. If you mention the Butterfly Effect to Izzy, he might be able to explain it better."

Tai nodded. "Okay, I'll do that when we get back."

Takato nodded in response. "Anyway, I'm done with the gloves. What do you think?" He showed them both.

They were expertly drawn, and designed. They were a Deep Crimson with a Black hazard Symbol on the palms, the Zero Unit, which Tai recognized as something else, on the backs. "Is that the Triforce?" He asked.

"Actually, it's the Zero Unit. The Hazard and the Zero Unit are pretty much the only things that as powerful as each other. Thing is, they don't balance each other out. They simply hold the same amount of power. Calumon holds the Zero Unit in his Forehead. You think I should get them made?"

Tai and Kari looked at each other, and then at him. "Do it." Was the simultaneous response.

Takato nodded. "You know it."

00000x00000

Chapter complete!

ALL HAIL INSANITY! ALL HAIL THE LOG!


	6. Chapter 6

Okay, this one is going to be slightly different.

Also, I have a challenge for my readers.

It's a Bleach/(Pokemon or Digimon) Crossover. I've been getting ideas of having Ichigo, somehow returning from an event, without a body to reside in afterwards. He then ends up inhabiting a newborn baby.

In the case of Pokemon, it's Ash Ketchum.

For Digimon it would be as follows:

Season 1 -Tai Kamiya/Taichi Yagami

Season 2 -Daisuke/Davis Motomiya

Season 3 -Takato Matsuki

Season 4 -Takuya Kanbara

The problem is, since he's an experienced soul taking over a newborn baby, he'd kick out the old soul and live out the new life.

NOTES: Ichigo has gotten a small grasp on gathering his Reiatsu in his actual body, and thus knows how its done.

For Ash: His Reiatsu acts in a similar, if not identical way to Aura.

For a Digidestined: It's a lot like Digisoul, from my understanding.

Eventually, he'll be able to regain Zangetsu in his human form, though he would have to train himself to use them again.

**PLEASE NOTE:** The reason I use this as a challenge is because I don't know near enough about Bleach to write a Fanfiction using it.

**Chapter 6**

Takato had just finished a Soccer game, but Tai and Kari were not there for it. He was confused, because he knew that, even if they would be late, they'd be there as soon as they could. He decided to go see Rika, instead. He told his team he felt something was up, and he had to check on it.

The Team looked confused, but the Coach nodded. "Good luck, kid. If you need any help, let one of us know."

Takato nodded. "Thanks, Coach. I appreciate it, but... I figure that if you try you'll end up dead."

"Then why do you have to go?" The goalie, Kiria Uroha, questioned.

"Because, unlike you, I can handle it. It'll take something... superhuman to survive. You all lack that quality, while I use it everyday."

The coach was the only one not surprised. Takato just ran off, his outfit glowing red, before replacing it with his usual clothing.

However, the team saw this, before he ran off in a Red Blur.

"What was..."

"That... is why he's called the Hurricane in the Track circles." The Coach said. "He's faster than the winds of one, that's for sure."

-Shinjuku Park-

Takato slowed to a stop right outside of the Abandoned Shed, which was his usual spot to get to the Dark Ocean. He went in, and Teleported to the Dark Ocean.

Once there, he looked around. "Shadow-sensei, is something wrong in the East Quadrant?"

Shadow looked at him. "Not that I'm aware of. Why?"

"I get the feeling that something is happening right now, and it's dangerous. Tai is somehow involved." Takato pointed out.

"Then go check on him." Shadow said. "But be careful. You don't want any trouble."

Takato nodded, and flashed out.

-East Quadrant-

Takato appeared on the roof of Kari's Apartment building. The funny thing?

He heard a female yelling her head off. It wasn't Kari, but, upon closer inspection, it was coming from Tai's room. Sitting on the railing of the Balcony outside the room, he saw 3 people there: Tai, Kari, and a feisty Red Head, in a Green High School Sailor Uniform.

The Red Head was shouting at Tai, who was cowering in fear. Kari looked on in amusement.

He chuckled, seeing Tai being put in his place for some reason. He walked through the sliding glass door, without sliding it open, of course, and leaned on a wall near Kari. "I take it Sora finally found out about Agumon?" He asked, causing Kari to snap her head to him, Sora to stop ranting to turn to him, and Tai to look at him in relief.

"And who the HELL are you?!" She shouted.

"He's the only reason I have Agumon right now." Tai point out, still scared. "You might not want to get him mad..." He trailed off.

"Shut it, Tai!" She shouted at him.

"He's right, you know? When I'm angry, I could destroy the Entire Digital World without knowing it. It's almost happened twice with the power I wield." Takato pointed out, completely relaxed.

The girl, Sora, blinked a few times. "What?" She asked, completely confused.

"You have your Digivice?"

"Takato, are you really considering..." Kari trailed off.

"Dunno. That's up to her." Takato told his girlfriend.

"Uh..." She pulled it out, and showed him. He held out his hand.

Tai put a hand on her shoulder. "You can trust him, Sora. I did, and he unlocked Ultimate for me. I got Mega back on my own. Which reminds me," He looked at Takato. "Thanks for telling me that. I'm not expecting any higher than Champion, though."

Takato now had it in his hand, his eyes closed. _'Hmm... No access to Mega, Ultimate... freshly closed, not locked like Mega. Champion is still there, though.'_ "You're right, Tai. Ultimate is closed, but not locked. She can still handle Champion, though." He handed it back to her. "Here's this back."

"Uh... thanks?" Sora asked, unsure. "What did he do?"

"He checked out everything that your Digivice is capable of, including what it can do with you." Tai explained.

"Uh... how?"

Tai shook his head. "Not my business, Sora. I didn't ask."

Kari and Takato raised an eyebrow. Sora sent him a stern glare. "Oh? And why not?"

Tai crossed his arms for a second. "Come to think of it, I'm not sure. Could have been that swarm of Dokugumon and Kodokugumon right afterwards, but I'm not sure."

"You mean you've been to the Digital World and didn't tell us?!" Sora was back to yelling.

Kari put a hand on her shoulder. "Calm down Sora. This wasn't in the Digital World. In was in the Real World. And the only reason he was able to help is because I brought him along."

"Kari, Digimon can't survive in the real world for long." Sora pointed out.

"How long is "Long", Sora?" Takato questioned. "I've had my partner in the Real World for close to 2 months. I have a friend who had her partner for 6 months longer than I have. Another friend has had his for 5 months longer than me. That long enough for you? No access to the Digital World, the Digimon come to the REAL World."

"That's not possible. The only gate was destroyed!" Sora countered.

"Digimon have been using something we call Digital Fields to cross over. They could pop up anywhere, anytime." Takato explained. "I'm used to dealing with them. I have been for years now. Using my own experience, I've been able to fend off most Champion level Digimon on my own. Of course, I do best against Data types, and worst against Vaccine Types, but I can still handle most champion level Digimon. If I can't overpower it, I can outwit it."

"And what makes you think you can take on Digimon on your own?" Sora questioned.

"He can. I saw him do it firsthand." Tai said.

"I trained alongside him years ago to do the same. We are both roughly Ultimate Level in skill and Experience." Kari added.

Takato sighed. "Sora, I've taken on a swarm of Flymon, upwards of 30, on my own. No Digimon on my side, either. The entire time, I made sure the fighting didn't leave any lasting marks on the pavement below me, the buildings to the sides, or the innocent bystanders just outside the Digital Field. Flymon are Champion level, if I'm not mistaken. I caved in the head of a Snimon once with my bare hand. What does that tell you?"

Sora couldn't respond to that. How could she? Two humans, one she knew personally, were claiming to be fighters, on par with Ultimate Level Digimon.

Instead of answering his question, Sora looked at Tai, all traces of humor and anger gone from her face. "Tai... _Please_ tell me they're joking."

Tai shook his head. "They're not. Although, I could've sworn that you'd be higher than that, Takato." He finished off by looking at him.

"In Raw Strength, I most certainly am. However, when in full control of myself, I cap off at about High-Ultimate Level. This isn't including _that_ ability we both share." Takato replied.

"Tai, how do you even know this is true?"

"You don't take on a swarm of Dokugumon and Kodokugumon without _some_ kind of strength. Even with MetalGreymon and Angewomon there, it wouldn't be enough." Tai told the Child of Love, before turning to Takato. "Also, I _did_ manage to ask Gennai about the Digital Hazard. Apparently, you were right. There was _nothing_ on Megidramon's Rookie, Champion and Ultimate forms. Info on Megidramon was Sketchy at best, more on Gallantmon than him, but information on what they Digivolve from were entirely non-existent. The two are just myths to Gennai."

Takato nodded, expecting just that. "Anything else?"

"What is he talking about, Tai?" Sora questioned.

"What? You didn't think he'd be able to take on Ultimate Level Digimon without some kind of knowledge on Digimon, did ya?" Tai grinned at her blushing face, knowing he was spot on. He quickly lost the grin though, now in full serious mode. "Takato here is the only reason I know of those two, or the groups they belong to. And I found out more about them from him than I did Izzy."

This caused Sora to go from embarrassed to confused to surprised. "He knows more than Izzy?" Sora asked.

Takato nodded. "When it comes to Virus Type Digimon, my knowledge is unrivaled. Elsewhere, I may be out shined, but _no one_ knows more about the Virus Digimon than I do. These days, there are at least 20 different Digivolution Lines that have no records on, yet I know about them. Then there's a whole _breed_ of Digimon unknown to all but those who know of the reason they came to be, as they were all wiped out several million digi-years ago."

Kari nodded. "He's right. I'm more knowledgeable in Vaccine Digimon, but also go into Data types. To be more specific, I know every fact about _every_ Angel Class Digimon. Fallen Angel Digimon included."

Tai nodded. "So, how did the game go, Takato?"

"Pretty good. We won 22-3." Takato answered. "I take it the reason you guys didn't make it is because Sora found out about Agumon?"

Tai and Kari nodded. "Sorry I couldn't make it." Kari apologized. "Sora wouldn't let me out of her sight until I had explained. I couldn't get away fast enough. You're also lucky my parents aren't home."

Takato blinked. "You're kidding me, right?" Kari shook her head. "They saw the two of us take on 30 Divermon last weekend, without getting touched _once_, and they're _still_ against it?"

"Not that... It kinda got out about the "Bathing Habits" the past few years." Kari hesitated slightly.

Takato blinked. "Shadow-sensei?"

"Shadow-sensei." She confirmed.

Takato facepalmed. "Seriously..." He sighed. "Anyway, are you going to make it this Saturday?"

"I'll definitely try." Kari said.

"Hold on!" Sora interrupted. "What did you mean by "Bathing Habits"?"

Kari poked Sora's forehead, while implanting the Image in Sora's mind. Her eyes glossed over for a few second, before she blinked, and stared at Takato. "Seriously? _That_ is what he's worried about?"

Kari nodded. "It is. It's also another reason that my father doesn't like Takato."

"What's the biggest reason, though?"

"The fact that you're effectively pulling me into a situation that, in his eyes, doesn't concern me." Kari pointed out.

Sora just watched as the two conversed. The more they talked, the more she realized just how close the two were. _'Wow... I didn't think she'd be able to hide something like this. Then again, I didn't think Tai could hide the fact that he's been training with Agumon, either. Guess it shows how much I know about these two.'_

Sora sighed, before clearing her throat. Kari and Takato stopped to look at her. "Yes?" was their response in complete synch with each other. "Takato, I'd like to talk to you. _Alone_." Sora pointed at the balcony, and the two walked out, Kari just watching as the sliding door closed.

Kari and Tai just watched as the two talked on the balcony. "How much do you want to bet she's wondering how much he's like me?"

"No bet." Kari stated. "He's got the Goggles, the gloves, even the Digivice, and his partner is an Overpowered Virus-type Agumon."

Tai nodded. "Good point."

The two waited for 20 minutes before the two came back in. Sora looked at Tai. "You're off the hook... for now."

"Okay." Tai looked at Takato. "Do I even want to know how?"

Takato shook his head. "No, Tai, you don't... by the way, I'd worry about yourself for the next few months. Sora's going to tell the others."

"I told you I wouldn't." Sora pointed out.

"I know the loopholes, Sora. Don't think you hide behind a Loophole when there's someone that is trained in using Deception, hiding behind Deception, seeing through Deception, and Mindfuckery."

Kari rose an eyebrow. "Do I even want to know?"

"No... but you might get hounded as much as Tai. Especially when the others find out." Takato admitted.

Kari sighed. "Sometimes, you really worry me."

Takato shook his head. "By the way, you want to go eat something? It's on me." He asked.

"Alright... but I'm changing first. They don't know my Southern Outfits all that well." Kari was right, on that part. She was wearing a Pink and White Jumpsuit with fingerless gloves, and a Camera around her neck.

Takato nodded. "Sure, I'll wait on the balcony. Anywhere in particular?"

"I'll think on it." She said, before grabbing some clothing, and changing on the spot. Sora was surprised she did that in front of Takato, who just watched with little interest, occasionally looking elsewhere.

"What is going on between those two?" Sora whispered to Tai.

"These two have been doing this for years to make sure their parents didn't know they got extremely dirty while playing or training in a place where there are only 2 known buildings in a 500 mile radius." He whispered back. "They're used to seeing each other with nothing on. It doesn't faze them anymore."

"The Bathing Conditions they mentioned?"

"Bingo."

Tai and Sora watched as Kari, dressed in her usual Southern Quadrant Outfit, which consisted of a Bright Yellow shirt with Pink Stripes on it, Dark Blue jean shorts, and the Bright Orange Jacket that Takato had shown her family over the shirt.

The Inscription on the Jacket, however, was different. On the back was a large circle with the Kanji for "Shadow", denoting her sensei, while the Crest of Light, The Purple Starburst, was over where the heart would be.

"That looks oddly familiar." Tai pointed out.

"Aside from the text, its the exact same as the one that's at Takato's house which I use in case I need to." Kari admitted. "Both are also highly resistant to Damage, Inflammable, and, though entirely overkill, is entirely immune to the Digital Hazard."

Tai's eyes widened. He didn't know _that_. "How?"

Kari stared at Takato. "He wouldn't tell me."

Tai and Sora stared at him in shock. "What? Did you really think I wouldn't give her a way to survive a stray attack, should I miss? Cause if you did, you're messed up in the head... More so than we are, at that."

"Hey!" Tai admonished.

"I resent that." Sora scolded. "And what do you mean by "More so than we are" comment?"

Takato raised an eyebrow at her. "You want to know what it means to be a Gogglehead? The Mind required to be one? The FULL Imagination of one? Tai's isn't as bad as Kari's because he simply doesn't have the knowledge she does, and she makes FULL use of it in her imagination. I, on the other hand, could think up things I doubt Apocalymon could possibly come up with, with more Knowledge on the Darker Side of things, and the ability to pull on _any_ of them, and then _put them into practice_. Think about it." Takato and Kari walked out onto the balcony, and jumped over the railing, before vanishing in a flash of light: Takato's being Red, Kari's being Yellow.

"Tai?" Sora looked at him in concern.

"Sora, believe me when I say, you _don't_ want to know. If I told Izzy, he would _definitely_ wish he _didn't_." Tai said, with utmost seriousness.

"That bad?" Sora asked, surprised.

"Worse, actually. If Izzy ever touches that Subject, and I'm not around, let him know that if he knew, he'd immediately want to wipe his mind of the knowledge the answers would give him."

"You're kidding me."

"I wish I were."

-Restaurant-

Takato and Kari were talking while eating some pizza. Takato had just told her about a Bioemergence he took care of. Kari giggled. "He actually did that?" She asked.

"Henry really doesn't seem like the type to punch a Musyamon, does he?"

"No, but I'm actually talking about taking his sword and using it." Kari replied, not bothering to hide her amusement.

"I'm actually half surprised he _could_ use it." Takato replied.

"I guess. So, how's the Ethereal Digizoit coming along?"

"I can make it with the Hazard no problem. The problem is making an actual, permanent version of it."

"Huh. I guess that makes sense." Kari mused. "There's just no materials you can use. That about sum it up?"

Takato nodded. "Unfortunately. I can't get my hands on anything tougher than Steel without triggering suspicion, especially with Yamaki on our tails."

"I figured that." Kari pointed out, before noticing someone entering the place. "Oh no."

Takato saw her worried look, and followed her eyes to see a trio of girls entering the area they were sitting in. "Something wrong with them?" He asked.

"Try the only ones I wouldn't mind you going Beast on." She answered causing his eyes to narrow.

"That bad?" He questioned.

"Yes, they're that bad. I constantly hold myself back so I _don't_ kill them. And you know I could."

Takato sighed, and put his hand on hers. "Kari, you know that I'm here for you. I can tell that they're spoiled brats just by looking at them. I wouldn't get along with them either... Act like they aren't there, that way they don't know its you."

Kari sighed, and nodded. "I'll try, but my Natural Sensory Abilities will make it hard."

"They lay a hand on you, either you drop them, or I send them flying. Deal?" He offered.

She nodded. "Deal."

The trio of girls walked up to them, Kari doing her best not to look at them, Takato outright ignoring them, as they stopped at their table. They both continued eating their meals, ignoring them.

One of them cleared their throats, causing them both to stop. "You do realize that ignoring people is rude."

Takato looked at the one who spoke in confusion. She had Dark brown hair, and Green eyes. "Pardon?"

This caused them to bristle in anger. "Do you even know who we are?!" One of the others shouted. This one had Dark violet hair and Hazel eyes.

"No, as a matter of fact, I don't. Should I?" Takato asked, feigning curiosity.

This caused everyone in the restaurant to go silent and stare at them. "Where have you been, under a rock?" The third one, who had Sandy Blonde hair, and brown eyes.

Takato put down his fork, and stared at them for several seconds. "You are... Idiots." This caused a round of gasps. "Just by looking at you, I can tell you're spoiled little rich kids, snobby, slightly arrogant, and your parents probably hold a lot of political power. You mistake their power for your own, and as such, use it to bully everyone around you. From what I see, I'm not impressed. If you try to hit on me, I will send you flying. You insult my girlfriend, you better hope you have Death Insurance. I don't take kindly to those who insult my friends and family. And the last one to do so... let's just say his head no longer exists, and leave it at that."

"And what makes you think you would get off because of that?" The girls sneered, while Kari was silent. She wanted to know, though she already had a good idea of what he would say.

"Because my job requires me to do things without being noticed. You would never know what happened, until it was far too late. And by that time, people would already be scrambling for an answer of some sort. You don't do what I do, without the knowledge and skill to do it unnoticed." He pulled out a small badge, though only part way.

The girls noticed, and backed up. "So don't think I can't get out of it. Now please, back off. I _really_ don't want to show my skills in a restaurant... although if you want a 3 mile crater with this restaurant as the focus, go ahead and strike. Just know that I warned you."

The three girls backed off, and ran out the door. There was a few moments of silence, before one person, a waitress, had started clapping. The rest soon joined in. Kari and Takato looked at each other, before staring at the others, Takato in confusion. "I don't get it. What was so good about that?"

"No one ever insults them, or threatens them." One of the Staff members stated. "They're basically a menace to everyone, because their parents are in the parliament."

"Oh. That makes more sense." Takato said, before shrugging it off. "Anyway, I've got to finish eating. My mom's expecting me in about half an hour, and I don't like to waste food." Kari shook her head.

"You're impossible."

"You know you love it." He sent a grin her way.

"Well, your meals are on the house. We can't stand those girls anyway." Another male said. Apparently, this guy was the manager.

Takato stopped chewing the food in his mouth, and looked at him. He swallowed and spoke. "I'm afraid my own honor would not allow me to take your offer. If it were anything but a date, then I would gladly accept it, but, since this was meant to be a date, then I cannot, in good conscience, allow this meal to be free."

Kari shook her head. "Takato, just take it. It's fine. Really."

Takato looked at her, and shook his head. "Kari, you know me. You _know_ that I wouldn't allow anyone else to pay what I can, especially in a situation such as this."

Just then, the three girls and several thugs in suits walked in and the girls pointed at him. Takato narrowed his eyes at the thugs, before getting up and walking towards them. "Can I help you?" He asked, completely calm. The Thugs glared at him. "Is he the one?" One of them asked.

The girls nodded. "He is." The blonde stated.

"You're coming with us."

"And why should I do that?" Takato asked, an eyebrow raised.

One of the thugs shifted his jacket slightly to reveal a handgun. Takato wasn't able to see anything but the grip, so he couldn't say what model. "It would be in your best interest if you did."

"Oh, really?" Takato shook his head. "I hate to break it to you, but you couldn't scare me with an entire Battalion of Unstable War Veterans. A few Bodyguards for rich kids? You'll have to do better than that." He then chuckled. "Although I must say, that _you-_" Takato pointed at one of the ones in the back, who actually felt scared, yet hid his fear well. "Seem to have an idea as to what you're up against."

The all looked at the man in the back, who was sweating. "What does he mean, Kazama?"

The man, Kazama, looked at Takato. "What is your status?" He asked.

Takato raised an eyebrow, ready to strike at a moments notice. "Which one?"

Kazama paused for a moment. "Digital Status."

Takato grinned slightly, though it was his own sadistic grin. "Do you know of the Hazard in Digital Terms?" At Kazama's uneasy nod, he continued. "I bear _all_ of it."

Kazama paled at this. "I'm out. I don't stand a chance."

"Kazama, get back in line! That's an order!"

"The boss don't pay me enough to face off with _that_!" He pointed at Takato. "I _barely_ survived the LAST TIME I encountered it!"

Takato blinked in confusion. "Come again? You _survived_ a direct blow from the Digital Hazard?" He questioned.

Kazama shook his head. "No, I was let go by the Dragon of the Hazard."

Takato looked in thought, as Kari walked up to his side. "Something wrong?"

"I'm trying to figure out when this was." Takato admitted. "Something's not adding up... Ah! There it is. Twelve Cycles ago, the Guardian went out of control in their Beast form, and went on a rampage. 4 humans survived, because they hid. Those guys were smart. About 7 hours later, Megidramon Self-destructed."

Kari blinked. "Oh. Makes sense, I guess." The two looked at him. "So, what are you going to do about this?" She asked.

"I'm doing nothing. They don't pay me enough for this shit!" Kazama ran off.

"He's just a kid!" The leader growled. The group all pulled out a pistol, and aimed it at Takato and Kari.

"Hikari, step back." Takato told his girlfriend, and she did just that.

At that point, Takato vanished from sight, before reappearing behind the leader, his left heel hitting his neck, as if Takato had just performed a Reverse Roundhouse. He landed on the group, and turned his head slightly, before vanishing again.

The only one able to keep up with Takato's speed was Kari. Within seconds, each of the Thugs were on the ground, unconscious. He looked at the girls with the eyes of a War Veteran. "I suggest you get out of here." He then looked at the manager, who was surprised at the speed of the fight. "I also suggest you call the police, and have them detain these men for Threatened Assault with a Deadly Weapon."

The Manager nodded, still surprised that not one shot had been fired before all of the thugs dropped. Kazama came back in, and saw the thugs on the ground. "They pulled out the guns?" He asked. Takato nodded. "I'll take the girls home, and tell their parents that they bit off more than they could chew, and I was the only one that noticed. Girls, move it. That one is _not_ to be messed with. Not even your father's money, or political status would help you get him. Attempting to control him means certain death."

The girls ran out of the restaurant, Takato noticing the scent of the someone shitting their pants. "Did they just..."

"Most likely." Kazama said. "I've got to make sure they're still safe. Hopefully we meet on good terms next time." Kazama ran after them. Kari walked up to Takato.

"You sure it's a good idea to let him go?" She asked.

"Honestly? No. He knows what I'm capable of, but that in itself helps me. He knows not to piss me off, as he knows how dangerous I can be." He looked at the Manager, and held out some cash. "I apologize for any trouble I may have caused."

"If something happens, the cops will handle it."

-hours later-

Kari was sitting in the park with Takato, sitting in a tree, resting their eyes. Takato's back was against the Tree Trunk, while Kari's head lay against his chest... Okay, Takato was resting his eyes. Kari was sleeping in that position.

Takato heard footsteps, but didn't show any sign of moving, knowing that Kari was asleep. A Blonde haired male with blue eyes, came up to the tree, noticing and recognizing Kari. However, he didn't recognize Takato, so he was about to call out to them, when Takato's hand pointed at him, before making a zipping motion. He understood it, but was about to ignore it.

Then Takato pointed at the base of the tree. The guy blinked, and looked at it. There was a message inscribed there. _'Kari is asleep. Don't wake her up. Tai also knows who I am. If you must have a name, I am known as Hazard. Tai would understand the name.'_

The male stared at Takato, not knowing he could read his mind. _'Why hazard? And why hasn't Tai gone after his head.'_ He heard tapping, and saw the finger pointing at the same spot.

The text was now different, surprising him. _'I can read your mind, you know?'_ This surprised him. _'For the record, Tai already gave me the big brother speech after Kari and I had been dating for 2, almost 3 years in secret. And yes, I know about Digimon.'_

_'Alright, then. If you can read my mind, then tell me this. What has Tai been hiding from the rest of us?'_ The text shifted, and made another message.

_'Sora found out already, and scolded Tai for at least an hour for not telling her, or anyone else for that matter, that he had been Training Agumon to reach the Mega Level once more.'_ Takato had written.

_'But how?! We could only access Ultimate level with the Crests!'_ He thought.

"_Oh, how little you know, Yamato."_ Takato said in his mind. _"I had already told Tai this, but the Crest was only a Medium to channel your own energy. You had the energy all along, and Tai realized this after testing it out. I only kept the Ultimate Level unlocked for him. He unlocked Mega on his own already."_

_'You're kidding me, right?'_

"_No, I am not. I have a Crest, but I don't use it. I don't need it. You may have given up your Crest, but the power you have is still in you. You simply have to work on pulling it out. Ask Tai for tips. He's closer, and more readily available."_ Takato replied.

_'And how does Tai know this?'_

"_He's taken a direct hit from Greymon's antlers and survived. Once you can do that, you should work on compressing the Energies used. Kari and I do it all the time. For her, the Crest of Light was an Activator and a Limiter. Without it, she has space to expand. And Expand she definitely has."_ After a slight pause, he continued. _"In more ways than one, to be honest."_

_'You do realize I'll be telling Tai, right?'_

"_You don't seem to realize that I've seen Kari in the nude since she was 5, and she's been seeing me the same way every time beforehand. And Tai already KNOWS about that. Her parents don't like it, but her mother accepts it. For the record, we're both at about Ultimate Level in Digimon Standards. I could kick your ass any day of the week, and Tai knows it."_

_'Then how do I know you won't hurt her?'_

"_Ask Gennai about the reason Azulongmon survived the encounter with Megidramon several Trillion Digi-years ago. Neither of us want a repeat of that. We keep each other sane. To separate us is to ask for total annihilation."_ Takato warned. _"Go ask Tai if you don't believe me. He already knows the full reasoning, and gave me his blessing."_

_'Fine. But I'm keeping an eye on you. My brother is taken with her.'_

"_Well, next time, tell him he's 3 years too late. I knew her before she went to the Digital World with you guys. We got together 4 months after that trip. At least, it happened that way officially. Tai didn't know until a couple weeks ago."_

_'If Tai confirms it, I'll let it go. Takeru won't, however. I hope you know who that is.'_

"_Yeah, your brother, Kari's Pseudo-Brother, and the little brother Tai always wanted but got me instead."_ Takato managed an attempt at humor there.

_'Wait, what?'_

"_Yeah. I brought up the topic with Kari about a year ago. Turns out, she sees TK as a brother, not a possible boyfriend. I asked Tai the same thing, and he just said that he would've loved having TK as a Brother. Last weekend, he said it was too bad it wouldn't happen."_

A moment of silence between the two, before Matt turned and walked off. _'I'm going to talk to Tai. See what this whole Relationship means to him.'_

"_Good luck. He'll also be on guard, since Sora ripped into him earlier."_

_'Noted. Later.'_ Matt was gone then.

Takato just rested there, enjoying Kari's presence. Many others walked past, not bothering to look at the tree branch they were on.

As it was nearing Sunset, Kari woke up, finding herself snuggled against Takato's chest. "How long have I been out?" She asked, rubbing her eyes.

Takato opened his eyes. "About 4 hours. Not gonna lie, if not for the fact you don't have wings I would've mistook you for Angewomon a few times."

Kari giggled, before they heard someone clearing their throat. They looked and saw Tai looking at them in amusement, Sora and Matt right there. "Have a nice nap?" Tai asked.

Kari nodded with a smile. "I did. Perfect pillow too." Takato chuckled.

Matt closed his eyes and sighed. "Takato, I take it?" He nodded. "I'll warn TK about Kari."

Tai looked at him in confusion. "What are you talking about, Matt?"

Sora and Matt looked at him like he was an idiot. "Takeru has a crush on your sister. Has for the last 2 months."

"Not happening." Tai said, before Takato spoke.

"And why not?" Sora questioned. "I mean, Takato lives in Shinjuku, doesn't he?"

Tai nodded. "True, but there's a few things you didn't take into account. Takato and Kari can Teleport to each other with Utmost ease... that and the fact that Takato could send TK through 5 buildings with a single finger... More if the buildings are close enough together."

"That is not possible." Matt pointed out.

Tai grimaced as he gripped his side. "I can say with utmost certainty... that he can, and _will_ do so." Sora watched the gesture and went over to him. "What happened?"

"Let's just say I picked the wrong moment to tease him and leave it at that." Tai's grimace worsened slightly. "If not for Kari, I'd be in a hospital right now, still recovering from Emergency Surgery. If he wanted to, he could probably take out Omnimon without much effort."

Takato cleared his throat, earning their attention. "In order to pull that off, Tai, I would need to go beast. And the Sovereigns wouldn't take too kindly to _that_ coming out again. Besides, I can still only control it for about 2 minutes, before going rampant."

"That's still a far cry from what it used to be." Kari pointed out, the two now sitting side by side on the branch, legs hanging over it. "It used to be you could only control yourself with me there as Magnadramon. Even then, you could only stay in control for 10 minutes."

Takato nodded, though a frown graced his face. "It's a surprise, really. I can handle about 2 minutes on my own, but with Magnadramon there, I can handle it almost indefinitely. By the way, Guilmon reached Champion yesterday."

"That's good. What got him there?" Kari asked.

"A very stubborn Devidramon." Takato answered. "And by Stubborn, I mean "Tai Stubborn"."

Kari blinked, while Tai frowned. _'Seriously, Takato?'_ Tai thought. "That bad?" Kari ended up asking.

"Oh yeah. He was _that_ bad... at least Tai isn't that bad anymore. He tamed his stubborn gene. I think that Devidramon, on the other hand, wasn't born with it, but grew into it. He loved it, as it took out Gargomon and Kyuubimon, before turning on Guilmon. Wasn't long before Growlmon hit the field, and took him out."

"A Champion level taking on and beating 2 Champions?" Matt questioned.

"Things are different down in Shinjuku. Down there, it's possible to take down a Mega with a Rookie. Levels don't mean anything." Takato explained. "Although the extra levels help when you can control it."

"Feels like a war-zone sometimes, doesn't it?" Kari asked.

"Sometimes? Try every time a Digimon Bioemerges." Takato retorted. "At least we can handle it. At least we aren't facing any Ultimates yet. I think the only ones that can handle that are you, me and Gatomon."

"Why Gatomon? And how did _that_ come about?" Matt questioned, looking between the two.

Sora glared at Tai, which Matt noticed. "And you didn't mention this earlier, _why_?"

Tai looked slightly scared, before Takato cleared his throat. "I think that has something to do with the fact that she can travel freely between this world and the Digital World... and anything in between."

This earned stares from the three older Destined. Tai was surprised. Sora and Matt were confused. "What?"

"You didn't tell her, Tai?" Kari questioned.

"Didn't come up, and the problem was Agumon. Not you and Gatomon." Tai retorted.

Sora cleared her throat. "You knew?"

"Yes, I knew."

"And you didn't tell me?"

"Uh, Sora?"

"YOU'RE GOING TO PAY KAMIYA!" Sora shouted, before chasing him. She didn't make more than 3 steps before stopping.

Correction: She was _stopped_.

Everyone looked at Kari whose hand was holding Sora's face, sporting a frown. "Sora, it wasn't Tai's choice to not tell any of you. It was my own. I wanted no one to know about them. Tai and my parents found out because of a mistake on my part. Takato's parents found out because I told them. No one knows what they are, because I don't want them to know."

"And why not? We're your friends, Kari!" Matt nearly shouted. Tai looked around, though, noticing that Kari had stopped Sora.

"I'm more worried about the fact that there are people here, and we're touching this subject." Tai pointed out, causing everyone but Kari to look around.

"When did..." Matt started.

"Takato is hiding us from them." Kari said, her voice calm, while using her free hand to point at Takato. Matt turned to Takato, who was grinning. "I was wondering when they'd notice, Hikari."

Kari let go of Sora's face, and smiled at him. "I knew the moment you did it. The others were too caught up in one or more emotions to notice."

Takato chuckled. "You're right, of course. But yeah, I'm hiding us. So go ahead, and talk as loud as you want. No one is going to notice, or hear you. Heck, I could probably torture any one of you right now, and no one would know."

Tai's eye twitched. "Takato..."

"Momentai, Taichi!" Takato said in what Kari had dubbed the "Terriermon Voice".

"Seriously?" Kari deadpanned.

"What? He walked into that one." Takato replied with a mock hurt look.

Sora, for the second time that day, was looking between the two. _'What is going on between these two?'_

Matt was seeing what was going on, but couldn't believe it. Tai, on the other hand, was just smiling, as if he knew everything that was going on... and Matt noticed, so he walked over and asked, "What's going on in that head of yours?"

"Takato and Kari are dating, have been for years, and to be honest? I like Takato. A lot like I was, but nowhere near as Stupid. He's like a combination of you, me and Izzy." Tai whispered.

"Bad combination."

"Dangerous, more likely. Plus, he has more raw strength than Wargreymon. Maybe even Omnimon." Tai pointed out.

"How are you so sure?"

Tai sent Matt a look that said, 'Are you crazy?'. "Matt, you have no idea what he's already done. Taking on Divermon at 5 years old without a partner? He's been there. Eliminating swarms of Digimon without a partner? He's done that. And I get the feeling he'd do it again if he had to."

"And you know this, how?"

"Kari showed me when he did it through one of _her_ abilities. 20 seconds, and the Divermon was deleted." Tai explained.

"You do realize we can hear you, right?" Takato said, grinning at Tai and Matt. Kari was also grinning.

Their grins were mirror images of each other, at that.

Matt snapped his head at them, while Tai nodded, not even looking at them. "I knew from the beginning you could. I've given up on trying to sneak up on you, Kari. And you already know why." Kari smiled, before Takato's D-Arc went off. He looked at it, before sensing trouble.

The problem was: it was in _this_ world. "Oh no."

"Is it Guilmon?" Tai asked, oddly serious.

"No, Bioemergence. _Here_." Takato ran off, Kari running after him. Tai followed suit, mentally calling Agumon. Matt and Sora followed Tai, surprising Matt when Agumon showed up and ran alongside Tai.

Then the group of Destined, Takato and Agumon reached the pier, seeing a fog roll in. It covered all of them, before something else came into view. It was an Ultimate level Digimon: Okuwamon.

"What is that?" Sora asked, not recognizing it.

"Okuwamon, Ultimate level Insect Type Digimon..." Takato's eyes narrowed. "Data type, apparently. Kari?"

"Wait." Tai said, earning everyone's attention. "Let us handle this."

"Careful Tai. This is a Southern Digimon. It may be more powerful than a normal Ultimate." Takato pointed out. "I'll be ready to back you up. Don't hold back, and delete him!"

"Right!" Tai and Agumon shouted, before Tai jumped towards the incoming Okuwamon. "Tai!" Sora and Matt shouted, as Tai managed to punch Okuwamon, sending it flying. "Whoa..." Sora and Matt gaped in surprise. "Agumon!"

"Right! Agumon, Warp-Digivolve too... WarGreymon!" WarGreymon charged Okuwamon, and held a ball. "Terra Force!" He threw the enlarged ball of Energy at Okuwamon, which caused it to scream in pain.

However, Okuwamon was still around, and Tai landed on WarGreymon's shoulder. "Wow, an Ultimate level survived that." Tai was impressed.

"It's like Takato said. Southern Digimon are stronger, because they fight more often." Wargreymon stated.

Tai nodded. "Then let's go!"

Wargreymon charged after Okuwamon, throwing Tai at the bug, who dodged him, before Tai managed to grab one of its wings, before landing on its back, and landing multiple hits on its back. "Do it now!"

"Great Tornado!" Wargreymon spun in a tornado, straight at the Okuwamon. Tai jumped off, kicking it right into Wargreymon's path, right as Wargreymon had reached the spot.

In short: Okuwamon was shredded.

Tai was caught by Wargreymon, who took him back to the others, and went back to Koromon, and passed. "Still tiring, but worth it." Tai breathed, now panting.

"You've gotten better, Tai." Kari praised.

"Thanks... I owe it to Agumon, though." Tai admitted.

Takato nodded. "You're not at my level of control, but you're definitely up there."

Tai gave him a goofy grin, and a thumbs up. "Thanks."

"Of course, if it was you, Okuwamon would've been deleted on the first hit." Kari pointed out, causing Tai to grimace.

"Not my fault I was chosen to wield the power of the most deadly Virus of all time. Most of my abilities are Virus Type, and thus, a Data type, such as that Okuwamon, would be dealt 5 times the normal amount of damage, while a Vaccine Type, such as Gatomon, would take about 30% of the normal Damage." Takato pointed out.

"True. I'm just pointing it out." Kari shrugged.

Sora started checking Tai for any injuries, constantly asking if he was okay. Matt just stared. Tai had done something that had never before been done... that he knew of.

Since the fog had dissipated, Takato helped Tai up, and sent Kari a glance, who understood it immediately. She moved Sora aside slightly, and her eyes glowed slightly. Sora, confused at what was going on, was about to ask, before Kari's left hand touched Tai's side.

The same side that he gripped earlier.

Kari's hand glowed, which then spread into his torso, surprising everyone else. When the glow faded, her eyes returned to normal. "No new injuries, but that one was reopened slightly. I wouldn't suggest any training on your part for a while. Trust me, Tai. If your body hurts itself from that, I wouldn't suggest it for a while."

Tai grimaced. "I figured."

"Just be more careful. I've been losing dad's trust by defending Takato from him." Kari pointed. "I don't want to lose you to your own stupidity."

Takato helped him around for a while. "She's right, Tai. You may have chosen the wrong moment to tease me, but it's also my fault for not telling you to take it easily for a while afterwards."

"You really think that would've stopped me?" Tai countered with a grin.

Takato sighed. "No, but that's only because you're a gogglehead. You want to do something, you're going to do it. It's part of being a Gogglehead, and you know it."

Tai sighed. "Point taken."

"Come again?" Matt questioned.

"Matt, do you know why Tai has the Crest of Courage?"

"It's the strongest quality of his heart." Matt pointed out. "I figured you would know that."

Takato shook his head. "The Crest of Courage doesn't just take up residence in the heart of anyone with Courage. It's a fact of History that every being that has held the Crest of Courage was a Gogglehead. They were Goggleheads before they were chosen by the Crest, they were Goggleheads when they got the Crest, they were _smart_ Goggleheads after they were done using the Crest. A Gogglehead matures, but they never stop being Goggleheads. One of the reasons that Tai still has the Energy to have Agumon Warp Digivolve is _because_ he is a Gogglehead."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Agumon questioned.

Takato sighed. "Because the Crest of Courage is _always_ tied to every Gogglehead there is... and no world can stay stable with more than 5 Goggleheads in it at once. Luckily, there's rarely ever more than one Gogglehead in a world. If 6 Goggleheads are in the same world, then that world is either dying, or is already dead. The former is because of whoever the Goggleheads are after, while the latter is because the world _pissed them off_."

"Where did you learn all of that?" Kari questioned.

"Shadow-sensei has a book on every Sigil used in any Digital World. The 10 Crests of Virtue are in there."

"Hold on! Ten?" Tai asked. "We only had 8."

Sora and Matt looked at Takato expectantly. He decided to respond while all of them sat down on the Pier. "Yeah, not surprised. Kari told me that you guys used 8 Crests to contain Apocalymon. Again, no surprise. You only _needed_ Eight Crests, not all ten. The other two were given to others, for different reasons. They are the Crest of Miracles and Crest of Kindness. A Digidestined bearing the Crest of Miracles has one _major_ point in their partner. They either turn into a Magnamon, the Royal Knight Digimon, or have a _Veemon_ for a Partner. If both are tied to the same person, then there is no mistake. That is the Digidestined of Miracles, and they've had the Crest since they were born. Thus, they have the abilities of all Armor Digimon that are powered by the Golden Radiance, or the Crest of Miracles. The two are effectively the same thing."

"And the Crest of Kindness?" Tai asked.

"The Crest of Kindness is just like any of the other Crests. Light, Courage and Miracles are the only exceptions to the Rule of Traits." Takato explained.

"'Rule of Traits'?" Sora asked.

"The Rule of Traits is used in most Crests. They chose their hosts by the trait they're named after. Those Crests are essentially a Physical Representation of said Virtue. The Crests of Courage, Light and Miracles, however, don't follow this rule. The Crest of Courage is to be used by Goggleheads only. They tend to be the Leaders of whatever Team they're on, because they're able to make the best decisions, even under a lot of pressure. The Crest of Miracles, however, is actually rarer than the others. The reason being its usage. It doesn't follow a Virtue, and for good reason. The Crest of Miracles is a power. A power unlike most, in fact, as it can bend the Reality of Logic when tapped into. It's even possible to Bend the Laws of Physics when using the power of Miracles. To be perfectly honest, the Power of Miracles is the only one that can match the Digital Hazard in Variety of Applications. If this Crest is in use, then he, over the Crest of Courage, is the Leader. Those with the Crest of Courage make great leaders, but those with the Crest of Miracles are a better choice. Especially if they know of it and can _control_ it."

"What about the Crest of Light?" Matt questioned. "Why doesn't it follow the rule?"

"Because the Crest of Light is a Limiter in some cases, and enhancer in others." Kari said, before turning to Takato. "Do you mind if I take this one?"

Takato held out a hand, giving her the go. "The Crest of Light is powerful, yes. However, the reason one has the Crest of Light is different, because they're more attuned to the Elements of Light and Darkness. The Crest of Light is at its Strongest when Light and Darkness are at harmony with each other in the Heart of the User. It's not the fact that the Wielder is Pure of Heart. No one is. I've heard the Voice of Light, as I call it, and it has told me, straight up, what it looks for. Someone with a Strong Light in their Soul. Not their heart. Only one that can tame Light _and_ Darkness can wield the Crest of Light. They're not natural leaders. It takes _years_ of experience in order for them to lead a Team on their own. The reason being, most users of Light are either Emotionally Detached, or pretty much a Saint in personality and mind. They don't realize the full truth of Light, and thus, are not as strong as they can be." She sighed. "If not for Shadow-sensei, I would fall under one of those categories like the rest."

Takato put a hand on her shoulder. "There's more to it, but I think you get the picture. However, the Child of Light can keep the Guardian of the Hazard under control. If the two are on the same side, like Kari and I are now, then the two will be at their best. However, there is one other out there that has an even _more_ effective Controller for the Digital Hazard: The Dreamer."

"Wait, what?" Kari asked, confused. "When did this show up?"

"It's not in Shadow-sensei's texts. In fact, I'd be surprised if he knew of it, as they're not tied to the Digital World directly. In fact, it's rare for them to even _know_ of the Digital World. However, they are naturally resistant to the Digital Hazard, and can even bring the Guardian under control, and quite possibly knock them out. They're meant to keep the Guardian in Line. _All_ Guardians, in fact. Some are known to have Prophetic Dreams, _very_ realistic dreams. These dreams are more for the Safety of ALL Worlds, rather than normal Prophets, like the ones in Religious Books. Their dreams and Prophecies are vague, and hard, maybe even impossible, to decipher before it comes to fruition. The Dreamer, on the other hand, has a clear cut Vision, which has no traces of symbolism. The Dreamer is more accurate than normal prophets for this reason alone. He also naturally has the ability to subdue any Guardian for _any_ realm. The Digital World is one Realm, so the Guardians of said Realm, not the Sovereigns, can be stopped by him naturally. Whoever the current Dreamer is, they know who I am, what I've done, and what I'll do, before I even do it. I can only hope that I can find the Dreamer, before I lose myself to the point that even Kari can't hold me back."

Tai was surprised. "How does one know if they're 'The Dreamer'?"

Takato shook his head. "I don't know. Shadow-sensei doesn't have any records on him. I'm pulling this from the Digital Hazard itself, not any of the past Users."

"I didn't know you could do that."

"Just like I didn't know you could talk to the 'Voice of Light'. Didn't think I'd believe you, I take it?" Kari looked away at that, blushing. "It's the same reason for me. Actually, I was afraid that you _would_, and would leave me right after finding out."

Takato looked away from her at that. Kari put her hand out towards him, on the ground. His hand gripped it. "It's strange. We're this close, and still have secrets to ourselves."

"I know you have more, but I don't pry. I know you have a good reason for not telling me something. And you know I don't hide something from you unless I'm more afraid of you leaving than anything else." She nodded, before looking at him. He turned to her at the same time. "Kari, I know you. You know me. Right?"

"Yes..."

"Then you know that the reason I love you is because you can keep me grounded to the point no one else can, or ever has. You also have no qualms about hurting me to make sure I stay sane... I _still_ remember the time you sent me into a cliff because I was hysterical all those years ago."

Kari blinked, before giggling. "Oh... that was the time Shadow-sensei pulled his head off of his body, and began to talk, wasn't it?" Takato nodded. "Yeah... the only reason I had stayed calm after that is because I was sure that he was still alive... I also thought it was an illusion of sorts. I calmed you down, and _then_ he told me it was real."

"And that's when you freaked out, and I sent you into the Water, before dunking you, thus causing you to miss Camp." Takato pointed out.

"Wait, what?" Sora asked, not sure what he meant.

"Yeah, the reason I missed Camp and the first trip to the Digital World is because Takato dunked me into the Water that literally gave off the Element of Darkness. It gave me a small fever, and Mom overreacted." Kari admitted.

"You're kidding me." Matt started.

Kari and Takato shook their heads. "No, Matt. We're not." was their response.

"It really was my fault." Takato continued.

"Come to think of it, if Shadow-sensei didn't decide to pull his head from his shoulders I wouldn't have freaked out." Kari added.

"And if she didn't freak out, I wouldn't have had to snap her out it."

"And then you wouldn't have had to send me into the water." Kari looked at Takato.

"I couldn't send you into a tree without hurting you, or a cliff without the chance of bringing it down _on_ you. The water was the safest bet, and, quite possibly, the _only_ route I could've taken at the moment." Takato pointed out.

"Yeah... Next topic?" Kari didn't want to talk about that part.

"How about the time when Shadow-sensei found out _why_ we had our positions?" Takato suggested.

"I don't see the relevance." Matt pointed out.

"Well... I have Magnadramon data in me. Takato has Megidramon data in him." Kari told them.

This surprised even Tai. "How did you manage that?"

The two shook their heads. "Born that way." was the simultaneous response.

"That's got to be impossible." Sora started. "To have a Digimon as a part of you at birth?"

Takato grinned. "Remember when I said Miracles is just as varied as the Hazard?"

"What does that have to do... with..." Sora's questioned died in her throat as she realized it.

Takato only grinned wider.

00000x00000

**IMPORTANT NOTE!**

I should probably mention that this will be my last update for a while. I'm moving in 2 days, and this time, unlike those aware of my LAST move, I'm not having any other supervision. Just me, and my girlfriend in the house. It'll take some time for me to adjust and be able to get back to Fanfiction.

Odds are, this WON'T kill me, or her, but, on the off chance I can't update any story for a year (or Soa forbid, _longer_) know that I **WILL** return!

NOTHING SHALL KEEP ME FROM MY PASSION OF THE HEART!

Until then, ALL HAIL INSANITY! ALL HAIL THE LOG!

And now: some words of advice:

Ignore the Drugs. Trust me, they're not worth it.

Follow your heart, for that is why I write.

Don't despair if something isn't going your way. Trust me, it won't do you any favors.

NEVER BELIEVE DISNEY MOVIES! Their movies suck!... but they do have some good advice if you can get past the bad plot lines.

And now, a few suggestions:

Listen to the following songs (They may not be in your taste of music, or even your favorite genre but they help me keep calm):

Concrete Angel - Martina McBride

She's Somebody's Hero - Jamie O'Neal

I'm Already There - Lonestar

Promise to the Setting Sun (Japanese Version, also known as Yuuhi no Yakusoku) - Digimon Tamers (sung by whoever plays Rika/Ruki)

This I Promise You - N'SYNC

Tearing up my Heart - N'SYNC

I'm gonna be Somebody - Travis Tritt (It really helps me out)

Zelda's Lullaby (Ocarina of Time Version) - Play it on a loop for at least an hour. BELIEVE ME, it WORKS! You would _not_ believe how many times I resorted to this because nothing else worked, and then THIS did! (You can find the Hour-Loop and 10-Hour-Loop on YouTube)

Here Without You - 3 Doors Down (Believe it or not, this isn't to calm me down, but rather, make me realize I could do much worse)

That's all for now. BUT REMEMBER:

Patience is a Virtue that is too strong to be put into Digimon. Learn to use it.

SIGNING OFF!

ALL HAIL INSANITY! ALL HAIL THE LOG!


End file.
